Transformation and Banishment
by smashbrawlguy
Summary: INCOMPLETE. What happens when you mix summer vacation, a notepad, and a starry-eyed 15-year-old? This story.
1. Prologue

**The Legend of Zelda: Transformation and Banishment**

Prologue

"Link…I…See you later…"

With these final words, Midna, the Princess of Twilight, shattered the Mirror of Twilight, severing the realms of Light and Twilight, possibly forever. And then she was gone.

Link fell to his knees, tears streaming from his cerulean eyes. Zelda left the Mirror Chamber, sensing he might be there for a while. She felt like she was intruding.

After several minutes, Link tried to compose himself. Picking himself up off of the ground, he noticed a small glimmer in the sand. It was a fragment of the Mirror, about as big as his little finger. Wiping the remnants of his tears away, he picked up the fragment and put it in his pocket.

**A/N: Okay, it's finally up! Yeah, I know it's short, but the Prologue is supposed to be short. Hopefully I'll have Ch. 1 up by later today, but it may go up tomorrow. Please R&R!**

**-SBG**


	2. Chapter 1: Reunion

**The Legend of Zelda: Transformation and Banishment**

Chapter 1

_Reunion_

-One Month Later-

Link was walking by the Spirit's Spring after an unsuccessful hunting trip, lost in his thoughts.

**Dammit!** He thought to himself for the hundredth time. **Why did she leave me? She didn't have to break the Mirror…**

He was torn from his thoughts at a sudden noise.

_SNAP._

Link whirled around. Nothing. Just a snapping twig.

"Huh?" Link said. He saw a flash of bright crimson. "Must've been my imagination…" He muttered, to throw off his persuer. Link was being followed, and he knew it.

He disappeared from the figure's view, rounding the corner to his house.

"Awww… I lost him!" The figure said to itself.

"Lost who?" Link asked the intruder, standing behind them and pointing his blade at it's back. "All right, talk. Who are you, and why were you following me?" He asked in an icy voice.

The figure stood up, chuckling to itself.

"Eee hee hee! Awww, my little wolfy msses me!"

Link immediately recognized the voice.

"It couldn't be her, could it?" He wondered, dumbfounded.

The figure turned around, at the same time, lowering her hood, revealing ruby-and-gold eyes, brilliant red-orange hair, and pale blue skin.

The sword fell from Link's grasp, his mouth agape.

"Mi...Midna!?!"

**A/N: Okay, Ch. 1 is up and running! Yes, I know it's a little cliché, but this was pretty much the first fanfic-related thing I'd ever written. Future chapters are much longer. Ch. 2 coming soon, sooner if I get lots of reviews! All you gotta do is press that big, shiny button below us, and type a few random words of feedback!**


	3. Chapter 2: Banishment

Transformation And Banishment

Chapter Two: Banished

(Midna's POV)

Link and I spent hours catching up, although he did most of the talking. Casual stuff, like how the kingdom was doing, local events, things like that.

We'd just sat down for a dinner of soup when he asked me the question I'd been dreading all day.

"So," Link asked me, "why are you back in the Light World?"

_Damn. I was really hoping he wouldn't_ _ask._

I hung my head, staring at the steaming bowl before me. "I… I was…" I started, tears welling in my eyes. I couldn't say it. I was too ashamed.

He saw the tears rolling down my cheeks, and put his hand over mine.

"Midna. Whatever it is, it's nothing we can't handle." He reassured me.

"No, no it isn't. Not this time. Everything I… no, WE worked so hard for was taken away from me." I took a deep breath. "I was banished, Link."

"WHAT!?!"

I regained my composure. "I was banished. You see, there are three rules that a Twili can never break. One: we can never take a life. Two: we can never use forbidden magic, such as the Fused Shadow. Three: we can never interact with the Light World in any way, including those who dwell in it. Should any of these rules be broken, the Elders banish the offender to the Light World. More specifically, the Arbiter's Grounds. Each Elder only holds a piece of the spell, to ensure it is not misused." I let out a sigh. "I was thinking they would be more understanding, since we saved them from being Zant's slaves for all eternity, but apparently there no exceptions, even if the offender happens to be a much-loved and well-respected princess who saved them all from a fate worse than death."

"O-kay…" Link said. "But if that's the case, why haven't we seen more Twili around?" He asked.

"We have. Sort of."

"Say what?"

"Okay, I'll explain, so listen up. Remember all those skeletons and stuff that attacked us at Arbiter's Grounds? Well, they're animated not by lingering spirits, but by the Twili that were manipulating their shadows. I didn't tell you because you would have hesitated in your attacks, knowing they were my people, even though they were our worst criminals. Nothing compared to Zant, but criminals just the same."

"Whoa… Wait, I thought the Twili couldn't survive in this world, right?

"Yes and no. We can survive, but only with magical assistance. Zant's artificial Twilight, for example. Or the Fused Shadow, although it wasn't strong enough to allow me a physical form. And the Arbiter's Grounds are enchanted, to keep the prisoners from taking a physical form or leaving. After all, there's a difference between banishment and a death sentence."

"I see… That makes sense." He changed the subject. "So, what made you come on down to Ordon?"

"Well, at first, I went to see Zelda. She thought it'd be safer here away from the crowds and prying eyes. I have to admit, she's probably right."

_And I wanted to see you again._ I silently added.

After a short silence, I said, "Link, you seem to be taking this all pretty well."

He shrugged. "Meh. After all I've seen and done, nothing really fazes you, I suppose. And around here, the most excitement we get is when Rusl and I or Talo and Colin have a sparring match. It's pretty dull."

"Who's better, Colin or Talo?" I asked.

"Hard to say. Colin is faster, but focuses on defense. Talo uses slow, powerful moves."

I decided it was time to try the soup.

"Hey!" I exclaimed, "This is really good! Like, REALLY good! Although, I never really pegged you as a chef."

He smirked. "Yeah. It's kinda hard to have access to a full kitchen when you're saving the kingdom." Grinning, he continued. "I had to climb Snowpeak to get this recipe from Yeto. It's a LOT harder with only two legs and no fur coat."

We ate the rest of our soup in silence. It seemed like he had something on his mind, but I couldn't be sure. After dinner, he showed me various souvenirs from our adventure, but a few things seemed missing.

"Hey, where are the Spinner and Dominion Rod?" I asked. "I don't see them."

"Well, I returned the Rod to the Oocca, and the Spinner broke from being so old." He replied.

"What about the Master Sword?" I inquired.

"Back in the Sacred Grove, should the need for it arise after we're all dead and gone. Only Zelda and ourselves know exactly where it is." He said.

I stifled a yawn.

"Okay, Princess," He said, "Time to go to bed. It's pretty late. You can have my bed. I'll sleep on the couch. Tomorrow I'll introduce you to everyone. They know I had a companion in my travels, but not much else in that regard. Anything else before lights out?" He asked.

"I need to put on my sleepwear."

"Oh." He blushed a little. "Well… I guess you could change in the basement. My house IS pretty open, unfortunately."

"That'll do." I gave him a death glare. "If you peek, I'll throw you off the Great Bridge of Eldin, with the ball & chain tied to your ankle."

(Several minutes later)

I came up a few minutes later to find him sprawled out on the couch, sleeping like a log. I looked at his face, and saw he had circles under his eyes, like from a lack of sleep.

_That's odd. He doesn't seem to have any problems sleeping._ I thought to myself. _Oh well._

As I climbed into bed, I felt something under the pillow. I searched for it, but was rewarded with a sharp cut to my finger. Ignoring the pain, I tried again, carefully this time. I pulled it out. When I saw what it was, I gasped. It was a piece of the Mirror. I stared at it for a few minutes, wondering why it wasn't downstairs with the other items. Then it clicked. This was special to him, more so than any of his gadgets. The shard, the rings under his eyes, the icy demeanor when he caught me…he was heartbroken.


	4. Chapter 3: New Beginnings

Transformation And Banishment

Chapter 3: New Beginnings

(Link's POV)

I decided it was time to get up, judging from the rays of sunlight that filtered in through the skylight. I was also grateful it was my day off so Fado wouldn't…

"HEEEYYY!"

Dammit. You would've thought Bo had put me in charge of the ranch by now. Fado's useless. I grabbed my slingshot and went outside.

"HEEE-guh!"

"Fado, shut up!" I hissed at him. "One, it's my day off, and two, my guest is still sleeping!"

"But the goats ain't-"

"I don't care! Do it yourself for once! Next time, I'm using my bow!"

I went back inside, hoping Midna was still asleep. If Fado woke her up… I could only imagine what would be left of my house when calmed down. I silently climbed the ladder to my loft, fearing what I might find.

She was still asleep, thank god. I smiled inwardly, remembering the first time I saw her, uncursed.

"_What? Say something! Or am I so beautiful that you've no words left?"_

_I could only break into a grin as I realized she was still the same little imp she had always been- to me, at least._

I went back down the ladder and started up the stove, gathering the ingredients for a breakfast of eggs and berries. A thought crossed my mind. Today was the day of the harvest festival!

"Crap! I was so preoccupied with Midna, I forgot all about it!" I thought aloud.

"Forgot what, little wolf?" A quiet voice asked.

"Gah!" I jumped at hearing her voice inches away from my ear. "MIDNA! Don't sneak up on me like that! I almost burned myself!" I waited for my heart to slow down before continuing. "Okay, here's the deal. Every year, after the Fall Harvest, we have our own little celebration, right here in Ordon. It starts in about two hours; plenty of time for us to eat and get ready." I eyed her nightgown. "And that includes attire. You'll probably want something a little thicker than usual, for when nighttime rolls around. Your cloak will work quite nicely."

She sat down, and we started eating. It was quiet until a thought crossed my mind.

"Hey… Whatever happened to that magic shard?"

"I kept it as a souvenir, much like you and your various gadgets. Why?"

"Just wondering."

"I don't buy that. I'm keeping my eyes on you."

"Can I return the favor?"

"You _really_ wanna jump off that bridge, don't you?"

"I'm not sure if it's worth it or not."

_SMACK._

"Ow. Okay, it's not worth it." I said, rubbing my cheek where Midna slapped me.

_SMACK._

"Jeez, what was that for?!" I demanded, now rubbing my other cheek.

"Calling my ugly." She retorted.

I began to protest, "I never called-"

_SMACK._

"I just can't win, can I?"

"Nope."


	5. Chapter 4: The Harvest Festival

Transformation and Banishment

Chapter 4: The Harvest Festival

(Midna's POV)

I exited the basement via the ladder, just in time to catch a glimpse of Link, shirtless, before he put on his Hero's Tunic. He was lean, but strong, a lot stronger than you'd expect of someone his size. He had the rock-hard muscles one obtains through hard work, not bodybuilding. And all the battle scars made him even hotter.

He turned around, and almost caught me drooling over him. I acted nonchalant.

"So, are you ready to go, Mr. Big Important Hero?"

"Just about; I need to grab my sword, and then we can go. By the way, you look great."

"Thanks."

I was wearing my favorite skirt, and a blouse I got just before Zant cursed me. It was black, but covered with intricate Twili designs in the traditional glowing bluish-green color. My hair was in its usual style, with two ponytails meeting just below my neck, slight waves framing my face, and the rest hanging to right below my shoulder blades in another ponytail.

"Hey Midna, where do you keep your clothes? I haven't seen a suitcase, and you weren't wearing those yesterday, although the hip skirt DOES look familiar." He said.

"I keep my stuff in the same place your stuff goes." I remarked, knowing this would drive him crazy. All Twili have a sort of 'storage space' where we keep our stuff when we're not using it. I fixed his pouch to have similar properties.

"Ah. Whatever. C'mon, we've got a party to attend to!" He grabbed my hand and nearly dragged me out the door. I couldn't help but smile at him; I could tell he hadn't been this happy in a long time.

XXX

"Heya, Link! Oh, and who's this little lady?"

It was the fat guy who gave Link the Iron Boots. I forgot his name.

"Heya yourself, Mayor. And this is Midna. She's the one who traveled with me on my adventure."

"Really? Well, howdy there, Miss Midna. My name's Bo. I'm the mayor 'round these parts."

"Yes, we've met before, although I don't think we were properly introduced. Let's just say I can keep a low profile when I want to."

"Is that so? Well, I'm sure you can, little missy. In fact-"

"HEY GUYS! LINK'S HERE! AND HE BROUGHT A FRIEND!"

Bo chuckled. "Well, here come the little 'uns. Good luck with 'em." He walked away, then the storm hit.

"Himyname'sTaloI'mLink'sfriendwowyou'rereallyprettywhat'syourname?"

"Huh?" I didn't understand a word the kid said.

"His name is Talo, he's my friend, and he wants to know your name." Link translated.

"Oh." I took a second. "My name's Midna. I'm also a friend of Link's."

Then the blond kid spoke up.

"Uhh… Hi. I'm Colin. Nice to meet you, Midna. Are you the one who helped Link on his adventure?"

I nodded.

"Yes, I am. You might not have seen me, but I was always there. I still remember when you saved Beth from that big, nasty monster. That was very brave of you, Colin. Even Link was afraid of him."

Link glared at me.

"I was SO not afraid."

I ignored him, and kneeled down to Colin.

"If he ever comes back, can you beat him up for me?"

Colin's face lit up.

"Yeah! I might even let Talo help me, I can beat him in a duel now!"

"I bet you can. Maybe you could show me later?"

"Sure! I'll even use the new move Link taught me!"

He ran off, and I saw a small wooden sword and shield strapped to his back.

Two down, two to go. Next up, Hyrule's youngest entrepreneur.

"Hey. I'm Malo. Judging from what you told the others, you probably already know all about me and the stores I own. Good to formally meet you."

"Well, in that case, it's good to… uh… formally meet you too. That Magic Armor you sold us saved Link's sorry butt more times than I care to remember."

"Don't thank me, thank Malo Mart, the hero of discounts. Or something like that. Whatever. See you later."

He waddled off, and I turned to Link.

"Is he always like that?" I inquired.

"Yeah, but you get used to it." He replied.

The last muchkin chose that moment to speak up.

"Hey Link, aren't you going to introduce me to your _girlfriend_?"

Link blushed and began stammering.

"BETH! Midna's not… um… er… I mean… well… sorta?"

I decided to intervene and save what was left of his dignity.

"Yes, I'm Link's girlfriend. But it's a secret, so you can't tell anyone, okay?"

"I won't. I promise."

Beth ran off to join the others, and I sauntered over to Link. He smiled his dreamy smile at me.

"So," he offered, "we're together now, huh?"

I shrugged.

"Looks like it."

"Does this mean I can watch you change now?" he asked, only half-joking.

I punched him in the shoulder, then a voice interrupted our exchange.

"Now, now, Link, you should have learned that the goddesses hath no fury like that of a woman scorned."

We turned around to face the voice's owner.

"Hey, Rusl." Link said.

"Greetings, Link. And to you too, Miss…?"

"Midna. I was Link's companion on his quest."

"Really? I think I would remember one as lovely as yourself."

I blushed.

"Thank you. But I looked quite… different… then, and I preferred to stay in the shadows. Literally."

"Literally?" he asked, intrigued.

"As a member of The Group, you're well-qualified to see things most people can't handle, especially the others in this village."

"Midna, "Link interrupted, "are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, I trust you with my life, but this is pretty far out even for a Group member."

"Link, it's fine. Whatever it is, I can handle it." Rusl assured him.

"Then it's settled." I declared. "Watch this."

I melted into Link's shadow. Rusl's eyes nearly popped out of his head. Then, I jumped to his shadow and rematerialized behind him. He didn't see me.

"And THAT'S what I mean by hiding in the shadows." I whispered in his ear, and he jumped a few feet in the air.

"Holy… wow… I bet you had it rough, Link."

"You have no idea."

I walked back over to him and punched his other shoulder.

"You're just a glutton for punishment, aren't you?"

"Not really, but you're special."

Rusl let out a hearty laugh at our exchange.

"Ahhh, to be young and in love…"

"WHAT?!" We exclaimed at the same time.

He let out another laugh.

"You cannot hide it from me, or each other. It is in each word spoken and every look exchanged. Do not worry, Midna, you are welcome here. But I must also say, Link. You know how she gets. See you later."

He jogged over to where Colin, Uli, and his baby daughter Lily were sitting, giving his wife a peck on the cheek and tousling Colin's hair. Link attempted to make a joke.

"So… we went from friends to lovers in a matter of minutes. That's gotta be some kind of record." Then he was serious. "We can talk about this later, at the hot spring."

"Hot spring?" I inquired, arching an eyebrow.

"Yeah. The gorons built it. Let's just say I had Darbus and Gor Coron pull a few strings. But that's for later, after the party. We've still got music, dancing, some duels…"

"What kind of music?"

In the Twilight Realm, music was more than a hobby. It was a way of life, and every note was sacred.

"Whatever we feel like, I guess. Hanch plays a fiddle, Uli plays a harp, Bo plays these goron instruments called bongos, and I play an ocarina."

"That's odd. You seemed tone-deaf whenever you tried to imitate a Howling Stone."

"Very funny. But in all seriousness, it just feels… right. Like I was made for it. I guess I kinda was. As it turns out, the Hero of Time was a skilled ocarina player. Legend says he was so good, he could make the heavens cry, call the sun into the sky, heal the sick, and even travel through time. The names of the songs have been lost, however, so there's no way to prove it. Legend also says that the ocarina he used belonged to the Royal Family, so it might still be around… maybe we could ask Zelda about it sometime."

Although the Hero of Time was common knowledge in Hyrule, such things were unknown to the Twili, and so I found the legends fascinating. I briefly wondered if the Hero of Time was anything like this Link, the Hero of Light.

I glanced over at said Hero. He seemed to be lost in his thoughts as well. Grabbing his arm, I started to drag him over to the tables where everyone else was sitting.

"Come on, wolf-boy, I'm dying to hear that ocarina of yours."

XXX

As it turned out, the Ordonians really know how to throw a party. Bo got drunk and told us stories about when he wrestled the gorons, Colin beat Talo in a duel, Link beat Rusl with one hand literally tied behind his back, and Uli played a beautiful melody called _The River of Time_. Hanch was in the middle of restringing his fiddle, and Bo was too drunk, so neither of them could play. Ilia had given me some dirty looks that said, _Back off, he's MINE!_ I responded with my little devilish smiles that had an _In your dreams!_ vibe, which made her even angrier. Wondering how Link dealt with her, I wandered over to him and draped my arms around his neck and put my head on his shoulder. I was a few inches taller than him, which made it easy.

"Hey, Hero. How about that ocarina? We haven't heard it yet."

(Switch to Link's POV)

"Hey, Hero. How about that ocarina? We haven't heard it yet."

I could feel the heat rising to my ears and cheeks, so I decided to work the situation to my advantage.

"Sure, I'll play," I agreed, "but… you have to dance!"

Now it was Midna's turn to be embarrassed.

"Huh-whaaa?"

I repeated, "I'll play if you dance!"

She scowled at me.

"Fine. But you'd better be really good, for your own sake."

I grinned; she had no idea.

"HEY, EVERYONE!" I yelled, "I'M GONNA PLAY THAT NEW SONG I WROTE! COME ON OVER!"

Midna was now wearing an expression of both curiosity and anger. Mostly anger.

I sat down on a rock, with everyone else on the ground or a bench.

"I call this… the Ballad of Twilight."

I brought the ocarina to my lips and started playing. Midna listened for a few seconds, then began to dance; it was a slow, graceful movement that could melt even a freezard's icy heart. It was absolutely amazing; every step seemed to simply melt into the next with no time in between. As I continued the song, she sped up a little, and I even thought I saw the glowing designs on her blouse, arms, and legs leave a trail of light as they moved, as if by magic (which it probably was).

I continued the song, pushing myself to play as well as the Hero of legend. Midna had slowed down again, sensing the end was near. The villagers had either started wondering whether I was a musical genius, or were still watching Midna, entranced by the combination of music and dance. I watched her as well, wondering if all Twili were this graceful.

I finished my song, and let the notes fade into the night. Midna stopped dancing, and looked at me, wearing an expression I'd never seen before. Awe? Adoration? Sadness? I couldn't tell. Even on our journey together, she always kept her emotions carefully concealed behind a mask of sarcasm. Oh well. I'd find out in a little while, at the hot spring.

She sauntered over to me.

"Well, well, Mr. Hero. Do you have any other 'special abilities' I should be aware of?"

It took me a second to realize the double meaning of her words. Fortunately, everyone else was asleep, drunk, or about to fall asleep. I guess my music, combined with her dance, just fried their brains. I rolled my eyes, then wordlessly took her by the hand and started towards the woods. Tonight wasn't over, not by a long shot.


	6. Chapter 5: Revelations

Transformation and Banishment

Chapter 5: Revelations

(Link's POV)

"Hey. I think we're here, Link."

We were? Already? I shook my head, trying to clear my mind. It didn't work very well. I must've been REALLY zoned-out, to not even know where I was.

The circular hot spring was of moderate size, between the Kakariko and Death Mountain springs. It was pretty shallow, about four feet in the deepest part, and three in the shallows. And on cool nights like tonight, heavy steam floated about. I looked up at her, and she smiled; not her devilish grin, but a caring, gentle look she had only given me once before: in the Mirror Chamber, just before she left. But this time, there was no hint of sadness, only joy. I smiled back; my deep blue eyes meeting her fiery red ones. She snapped her fingers, and three towels appeared. One was blue, the color of my Zora Armor. She handed this one to me. The other two were pure white, making the snows of Snowpeak look dull and dirty in comparison. She took these two.

I gave her a puzzled look.

"What are these f-oh." The realization hit me like a rolling goron. I had imagined us simply sitting at the water's edge, dipping our feet in, but apparently Midna had other ideas. Hey, I wasn't complaining.

She rolled her eyes at me.

"I haven't had a hot bath since Zant cursed me, save for those quick dips in the Kakariko Springs. And even then, I was still in your shadow. I'm not about to give up this opportunity." Her eyes narrowed. "You know the drill. Peek, bridge, fall, then slow, painful death."

I held up my hands in defeat.

"I know, I know."

"Don't forget, ladies first. I'll call you once I'm in. Wait behind those trees."

I did as I was told.

(Several minutes later)

"Okay, Link, you can come in now."

I came out from behind the trees, with my towel wrapped around my waist. She was sitting at the far end of the pool, nearly obscured by the steam. She saw me, nodded, and turned away. I unwrapped my towel and lowered myself into the water. I let out a contented sigh; this was a far cry from the brutalities I had become accustomed to.

I waded over to her, and found her gazing up at the stars. I sat down next to her, and turned my gaze to the heavens as well.

"They're beautiful, aren't they?" She asked me. "We don't have anything like them in the Twilight Realm."

"Yeah, they are." I agreed. "But no one really knows what they are. Some say they're the souls of Hyrule's greatest heroes, some say they're distant suns, and others say they're just dots in the night sky."

"Link… I… I'm sorry about what happened in the Mirror Chamber. I really thought I was doing the right thing. I…"

**(Insert scene with lots of crying, making out, and three-worded confessions here.)**

We continued like this for several minutes, and I wished it would never end. It was the greatest feeling in the world; better than when I found the munchkins, better than when the Master Sword accepted me as its wielder, better than when I finally killed Ganondorf, and even better than when I discovered Midna was alive after I thought he took her away from me. But alas, all good things must come to an end.

"LINK!?!"

OH. CRAP.

It was Ilia.

"Link, how can you sit there, and let that… that… THING stick her tongue down your throat!?! She's not even human!"

I broke away from Midna, and gave her a _let-me-handle-this_ look.

"Listen, Ilia-"

"Don't you 'listen, Ilia,' me! I've been waiting far too-"

Something in my mind snapped, and I commanded her with venom in my words, "Ilia. Go. Wait. Behind. Those. Rocks. Now." I pointed to a pile of boulders left over from the excavation.

She looked terrified, but still tried to speak.

"N-no thank you. I'm staying ri-"

"GO WAIT BEHIND THE DAMN ROCKS!" I roared.

She let out a small "Eep!" and did as she was told. I turned back to Midna, who had an amused expression on her face.

"So much for breaking it to her gently, huh, Link?" She said.

I winced, remembering Rusl's words.

"It's not like I asked her to walk in on us." I let out a disappointed sigh. "I don't think we'll be able to continue here. You might as well get out while I'm talking to her."

Midna seemed disappointed as well.

I clambered out of the spring, putting on my towel as I did. As I walked over to the tree where my clothes were, and began putting on said clothes, I wondered what I would say to Ilia.

I had always regarded her as a little sister; and while none of the villagers actually SAID anything, I knew that they thought that we sometimes slept together. Except for Bo, Uli, and Rusl (and the kids, of course), who knew better than to spread such rumors. Well, at least Uli and Rusl did, Bo was too dense to catch on.

I put on my floppy green hat, completing the 'Hero of Legend' look. The outfit attracted a bit of attention from those who weren't familiar with the specifics of Hylian lore, and even more from the few that were. This was only a problem when some wise guy tried to take my hat, and it never ended well for them. Usually with a concussion and a few broken fingers.

I still hadn't what to say to Ilia.

_I guess I'll have to wing it… _I thought as I rounded the corner to where she was waiting.

_Or not…_

Ilia wasn't there. I looked around, half-expecting her to jump at me wielding some sort of sharp object. I waited for a minute, but she didn't appear.

At a loss, I headed back to the spring, figuring Midna was done by now.

I rounded the corner, and spotted her.

She was standing with her back to me, and…

She wasn't wearing anything.

I froze. This was NOT what I was expecting. Two thoughts dominated my mind.

One: Now I can die a happy man.

Two: That might be very, very soon.

She turned around and saw me standing there.

_Oh, shit. !!!_

I couldn't move a muscle. It was like being hit with a redead's shriek, only a hundred times worse.

She slowly made her way over to me, with an unreadable expression on her face. I shut my eyes and waited for the end.

Instead, she whispered in my ear, "Like what you see, Hero?"

_Huh?_

My brain struggled for an explanation, and failed. I blacked out.


	7. Chapter 6: Heroes Have Weird Dreams

Transformation and Banishment

Chapter 6: Heroes Have Weird Dreams

(Link's POV)

_Awaken, heroic Link._

"Huh? Whazzat?"

I opened my eyes and received an unexpected sight. Three golden figures stood before me. The goddesses. Oh, joy.

I picked myself up, and kneeled before them. "Great creators of Hyrule! To what or whom do I owe this unexpected pleasure? I assume you have a task for me, such as the dispensing of some evil warlord or the fulfilling of an ancient prophecy?" I asked with a hint of humor as I stood up.

_No, hero. You have successfully vanquished the King of Darkness, and Hyrule shall know peace and prosperity for many years to come._

_Now, we come on your behalf. I assume you know of the Dark One who now lives among those who dwell in the light?_

"Midna?"

_Correct. We have watched over your world since its creation, and prepared for every possible outcome. Or so we thought..._

Nayru took over. _We never suspected that a Hylian and a Twili could fall in love. It is nearly unprecedented, and will most likely never happen again._

Now the three spoke as one. _Only one thing is for certain: a terrible fate will befall you, should you stay with Midna. We know not how or what, only that it WILL happen._

"Huh? A terrible fate? What's that mean?"

_Again, we know not. Farewell, hero. We hope that you should survive you coming ordeal..._ Then they disappeared in a flash of golden light.

"Wait! WAIT!" I shouted, desperate for answers. But they were gone. I paused to ponder their warning. The only terrible thing I could think of was losing Midna. And I wasn't about to let that happen.

Not again…


	8. Chapter 7: Moving On

Transformation and Banishment

Chapter 7: Moving On

(Midna's POV)

Oh, boy. I think I had broken Link's brain. When I whispered in his ear, he simply fainted. I didn't expect that reaction, though.

_I guess I can't really blame him. After all, I threatened to kill him more than once._

Sighing, I used both of my hair hands (I could only use my right one when I was cursed) to pick him up. He mumbled, but didn't wake. I put my clothes back on and wondered what would happen next. Rusl told me I would always be welcome here, but the run-in with Ilia said otherwise.

I started for Link's house, towing him behind me with my hair. It was getting pretty late, and we couldn't stay in the forest; it was much too cold.

"Wait! WAIT!" Link shouted out.

I nearly dropped him, he startled me that much. I brought him around to my front to check on him. Oddly, he was still asleep, but his face was twisted into a grimace. It pained my heart to see him like this. He had sacrificed everything for me; his chance to lead a normal life (if he ever had one), the affections of his closest friend, and, on multiple occasions, very nearly his life. Of all the times he saved me, though, the one where Zant exposed me to Lanayru's light blast stood out. I stood there, gently stroking his cheek, and remembering the awful incident.

_(Flashback)_

I hung in the air, helpless, as Zant prepared the red sphere of evil magic that would surely end my life. I scowled; I would not give him the pleasure of seeing me scared.

"NO!"

A large gray-green and white timber wolf lunged through the air, razor-sharp fangs bared in a terrifying snarl.

Link.

His feral blue eyes burned with a ferocity that I had never seen before. He shielded me from the attack with his own body, and crumpled to the ground. I broke Zant's hold on me, and jumped down to inspect him. He lay on his side, eyes closed, and an obsidian crystal with orange markings was embedded in his forehead. He was still breathing, thank the gods. I watched with horror as the crystal slowly buried itself in his skull.

Using his foul magic, Zant again drew me to his side.

"My Midna… did you forget? That beast is one of the Light Dwellers who oppressed our people. No matter how much you may desire otherwise, you will never be more than a shadow in their world. You cannot consort with their kind!" He drew closer, and began to whisper in my ear, at the same time retracting his helmet's mouthpiece. "But if we can make their world ours, Midna… light and darkness will meet at last. Our tribe will take back their realm… and sweet darkness will blot out this harsh light! And that, Midna, is why… I need you. Not just for me, but for all of our people… Lend me your power."

I wriggled myself free of his grasp and went to Link's side. Zant scowled.

"So be it… I will return you to the Light World you covet!"

With that, he released his hold on Lanayru, at the same time positioning me in front of himself as a shield. The Light Spirit roared into view, hell-bent on destroying Zant.

He didn't see me until it was too late.

Lanayru released a powerful burst of light, and I took the full force of it. I screamed in pain, and his serpentine eyes filled with horror at the mistake. He did the only thing he could, and teleported Link and I to North Hyrule Field. He said something to Link, but I was in too much pain to comprehend. Lanayru finished, and Link sped off into the night with me on his back, barely clinging to life.

_(End Flashback)_

I continued to stoke his cheek as I up to his doorway. Once inside, I removed his boots, belt, baldric, hat, and gauntlets. All the things that made sleeping uncomfortable. As I set him on the bed, he mumbled in his sleep, and reached out for something in his dreams. An idea entered my mind. A very good idea.

Still smiling, I shed my clothes, put on my nightgown, and lay down beside him, pulling the covers over us as I drifted away.

XXX

(Switch to Link's POV)

I awoke as the first shafts of morning sunlight began to enter my window.

My thoughts flashed back to last night. I remembered the hot spring, her whispering in my ear, but then… nothing.

_Did we…? _I mentally asked myself, fearing the answer. I shifted a little, and breathed a sigh of relief as I felt the familiar tug of my Hero's Clothes, relatively neat on my scarred torso. My pants were still on too, although my belt was gone. Midna was wearing her nightgown, which left little to the imagination. Knowing her, I was probably the only man to have ever seen her like that and lived. There was only one explanation: she loved me as I loved her.

Confident in this knowledge, I curled up to her and wrapped my arm around her waist, pulling us together. And I went back to sleep.

XXX

Life couldn't be better; Hyrule was safe, Ganondorf was dead, and I was curled up with the woman I loved. The only thing that could possibly ruin it was-

"HEEEYYY!"

That sonofabitch. Without hesitating, I grabbed a bomb out of the pile I kept on the nightstand for such an occasion, lit the fuse, and threw it out the window in the voice's general direction.

"HEE- HOLY MOTHER OF-!"

_KABOOM!!!_

Midna began to stir.

"Hmmm…? What was that?"

"Oh, nothing. I thought I heard a Redead, so I threw a bomb at it. Turns out it was only Fado."

She let out a sleepy laugh.

"I thought you were going to shoot him. This is much more effective, though. Did you get him?"

"Does it matter?"

"Nope."

She smiled one of her mischievous smiles.

"You're probably wondering why we're in bed together, huh?"

"Not really. Too busy enjoying it."

She snuggled closer to me, a predatory look on her face.

"You said we couldn't continue in the hot spring, so… I found a better spot."

Oh. OH! Once again, Midna had a different idea, and once again, I wasn't complaining.

**(Use your imagination. ;P)**

XXX

We just lay there for several minutes, relaxing, resting, and recovering.

A thought crossed my mind.

"Hey Midna."

"Hmmm?"

"I was planning on going on a trip, to take my mind off of… what happened… But, since you're back, we can go together. That is, if you want to."

"Really? No joke? I'd love to! When do we leave?" She asked excitedly.

"Ummm… Today." I said sheepishly. "I only packed for myself, though, so you'll need to get some extra supplies from the basement."

"Works for me! I'll get started, then."

With that, she hopped out of bed, taking the covers with her. She snapped her fingers, and clothes appeared on her body.

Great. Now Midna was decent AND the covers were gone. I wasn't sure which was worse, both were great losses in my mind.

Likewise, I rolled out of bed and pulled on my leggings and tunic, then followed her downstairs.

We spent most of the early afternoon repacking and preparing. When we finished, she went to change into more travel-appropriate attire, and I left a note for the villagers. It went like this:

_Dear everyone,_

_I'm sorry to leave like this. On my quest, I lost someone important to me. Yes, Midna. I'm not leaving because she came back. I was going to leave anyways. So don't blame her. I love her, and nothing will ever change that. I'm not sure where we'll go from here, but I'll try to stay in touch._

_Colin- Don't let Talo bully you. Just keep practicing your swordplay, and he'll start to respect you. I'm proud of you._

_Talo- Keep up your practice, and work on your defense. All an opponent needs is one opening. So keep practicing, and hold your head high, even in defeat._

_Malo- Don't grow up too fast. It's a lot of work to run a business, and you're only a kid once._

_Mayor Bo- I still can't thank you enough for all your help. Without it, I might just be a splat on the bottom of Death Mountain Pass._

_Rusl- Words cannot describe my gratitude to you. You taught me much of what I know, in terms of swordplay, and in life. You made me who I am, and for that, I thank you._

_Ilia- I'm sorry you had to find out like that. I know it hurts, but you were never more than a sister to me. Midna is the love of my life, and I know there's someone out there for you. I can only hope he's good enough. Take care of Epona for me._

_-Link_


	9. Chapter 8: New Faces

Transformation and Banishment

Chapter 8: New Faces

(Midna's POV)

"Seventy rupees?!? That's crazy!"

"Link, stop it! We have plenty of money!"

We were trying to check into a small inn on the outskirts of Castle Town, but Link was less than happy with the price. Before he could protest, I reached into my purse and pulled out four red rupees.

"Here you go. Seventy for the room, and ten for your trouble."

The innkeeper smiled, and handed me the keys to our room. I grabbed Link by the collar, and dragged him upstairs to the room.

XXX

(The next morning)

"C'mon, time to get up." I said, throwing a pillow at him.

"Okay, I'm up!" He said as he scrambled out of bed before I could hit him again. We got dressed, then headed out for some breakfast. It was still pretty early, but a few of the vendors were already open.

We walked down to the café set up in the central plaza. Link got waffles, and I had a plate of eggs. We spent the first few minutes chowing down, then started to chat.

"So," Link said, "I figured we'd go see Zelda today, but I have a few errands I need to run first. Alone." He added.

This made me a little curious, but I dismissed it.

"You can go shopping or something. If you need money, stop by Jovani's house, and tell him you're a friend of mine. He'll give you however much you need."

I nodded. Jovani sold his soul for untold riches, but was cursed for his greed. Link (aka "Doggie") freed him from said curse, and in return, Jovani gave him his fortune.

I swallowed a bite of eggs, then said, "Okay. I could use some Hylian clothes anyway. These ones attract too much attention." And they did. I'd turned more than a few heads yesterday. Mostly men's. Idiots.

Link finished the last of his waffles, then said, "Sounds good to me. Let's meet up at noon at the central fountain."

I nodded.

"Okay."

He paid the bill and left. I swallowed the last bite of my eggs, left a tip, then headed to the southern part of town, where all the shops were.

(Switch to Link's POV)

_Okay, Midna and I are meeting at noon. That gives me about four hours. Now I have to find a shop that sells THOSE. I just hope they have one that's right..._

I spent a good forty-five minutes asking around, and the same name always came up: Dared. Everyone I talked to said, "If you want one of those, check out Dared's." It was said that this Dared had high prices, but if he didn't have what you're looking for, chances were it didn't exist. After getting directions and a rough estimate of his prices, I checked my wallet: four silvers, six oranges, five purples, sixteen reds, nineteen yellows, and twenty-three greens.

_Okay, that makes… 2,183. _I thought, quickly doing the math in my head. I wasn't sure if this was enough, so I stopped by Jovani's and rounded it off to an even 4,500. Luckily, Dared's was just a few doors down, at the southeast corner of town.

Dared's "shop" was actually just the ground floor of a house, but the merchandise was of the highest quality. I looked around; I was the only customer here. Dared himself was dozing at the counter, but awoke when I walked inside. I walked over to him and said, "I'm looking for something exotic but simple."

He smiled and replied, "Aren't you forward? I like that. Okay, exotic but simple, huh? Let's see…" He rummaged around for a minute, then came back. "I think you'll like this one. It's a bit pricey, though: 2,500 rupees. Hey, these sorta things are hard to come by."

I took a look, and I knew this was the one.

"Deal." I said.

"Excellent. Would you like to make payments over a three or six month period?"

"In full, right now. I tend to do a fair bit of treasure-hunting."

With that, I handed him the fee. He looked a bit shocked at how a scruffy adventurer like myself kept such sums on his person, but didn't ask questions. I pocketed my newest purchase, and headed over to Telma's for a drink.

XXX

"Hey, Telma." I said as I entered her bar.

"Why, if it isn't the infamous Link!" She replied, then called to the back of her bar, "Hey guys, Link's back!"

I walked over to the back table and was met with a chorus of greetings.

"Link! It's good to see you again, yeah?"

_Ashei._

"Greetings, old chum. How are you?"

_Shad._

"Hello, Link. It's good to see you again."

_Auru._

"Link, huh? Good to meet'cha."

_Huh?_

I looked around for the source of the new voice, but found nothing.

"Heh, heh. Up here." The voice chuckled.

I looked up. A young man not much older than myself was sitting on the rafters. He pushed himself off, and landed, catlike, in front of me. He stood up, the offered his hand.

"I'm Gaven."

I shook it. Gaven was a few inches taller than me, with short brown hair, deep green eyes, and he wore a red tunic with black leggings along with chainmail. I noted that his tunic was embroidered with the symbol of the gorons. He had a longsword strapped to his back, much like my own was.

"So," He said, "I hear you're the guy everyone's talking about. The one who vanquished the dark beasts, cleansed the sacred grounds of both the gorons and the zoras, _singlehandedly_ stormed Hyrule Castle, and defeated whoever caused all this to happen."

"Yeah, that about sums it up." I lied. I had also freed the Light Spirits, become a wolf, traversed time, visited the sky city of the Oocca, rebuilt a magical mirror, visited the Twilight Realm through said mirror, liberated the Twilight Realm, and wielded Hyrule's most sacred of blades, the Master Sword. But that was generally unknown.

"But I didn't do it alone. Maybe you can meet her later."

"HER?" He prodded, curious.

I blushed a little.

"Yes, my companion was female. We didn't start out on the best of terms, but that changed after awhile, and we became friends. After many trials and hardships, we became… more than friends, although we wouldn't admit it to each other. Then, after out journey, stuff happened, and I thought I would never see her again."

"She died?" He asked, with a hint of pain in his voice.

"No. she… um… well, it's complicated. REALLY complicated. But then, more stuff happened, and now we're on a vacation of sorts."

"Huh. You're pretty secretive."

I laughed.

"I guess I am. And I quote: 'Link, you truly are a mysterious person. No matter where something happens, your name always seems to come up.' Isn't that right, Ashei?"

"Yeah, that's right."

"So, Gaven, tell me about yourself."

"I'm a member of The Group. My area is the Eldin Province. I work as an exterminator, flushing out bokoblins and such that hide out in the mountains. Ashei would do it, but she prefers frozen mountains as opposed to volcanic ones. I also learned some of the healing arts from Renado. See this tunic I'm wearing? It's a Goron Tunic, which makes me invulnerable to high temperatures. And in addition to my swordplay, I can also throw knives. Very useful for an ambush."

He showed me about a dozen knives hidden in the folds of his tunic.

"Much like Ashei, my father also taught me the arts of war."

"So, you nearly kill them, then you save them." I joked.

"Only the valuable ones."

XXX

I spent the remainder of the morning at Telma's, catching up on things. From what I could tell, Gaven was Rusl's replacement in The Group. This was fine by me; he was a good fighter. We dueled in the tiny square just outside Telma's. He lasted almost a minute and a half. By comparison, it takes me three minutes to take down a Darknut. After the duel, the others had a drink or two (I just had milk, because I didn't want to meet Midna smelling like booze) while I listened to their conversation. At about 11:45, I bade them farewell, then walked out to the fountain. I stood around for a few minutes, until Midna walked up in some new clothes.

"Hey. I like your outfit."

She blushed a little, then replied,

"Thanks. I thought you'd like it." Her new outfit consisted of a midnight blue, long-sleeved shirt with silver trim, and an ankle-length sarong that had the same blue-with-silver-trim coloring. Her red-and-gold eyes went well with it.

I offered her my arm.

"Shall we go?"

Smiling, she took it, and we headed for the castle.


	10. Chapter 9: Visiting Royalty

Transformation and Banishment

Chapter 9: Visiting Royalty

(Link's POV)

Unfortunately, we were stopped by a pair of guards at the gate. One was short and fat, the other tall and skinny.

"Halt!" Shorty said. "State your name and business!"

I rolled my eyes. Sure, NOW the soldiers grow a spine, once the war's over.

"I'm Link. My friend and I are close personal friends of Princess Zelda, and we've come for a visit."

"Of course you are." Slim said in a mocking tone. "Now you and your freaky friend need to beat it, before we beat you."

Oh, no. He did NOT just insult Midna. Who is, I might add, probably the most powerful sorceress in Hyrule.

"Midna, don't…" I began, but it was too late. Before I could react, she had pinned each of the guards up against the wall with her magic.

She hissed, "Watch your tongue, whelp. I am the ruler of a powerful kingdom with close ties to Hyrule. And he," She motioned to me, "is Link, the Hero of Twilight, the one who drove back the darkness because you so-called _soldiers_ were too busy trying to save your own hides. NOW do you understand who we are?"

She dispelled her magic, and the soldiers fell to the ground, trembling with fear.

"Y-y-yes, ma'am. P-please, accept our sincerest apologies." Stammered Shorty.

"P-princess Zelda's tent is located in the western courtyard. Terribly sorry for the inconvenience, sir and milady." Slim added.

"Thank you."

XXX

Besides the guards at the front gates, nobody hassled us. In fact, many seemed to recognize me, saying things like; "Greetings, Sir Link." Or "Hello, Sir Link. The princess has been wondering when you'd stop by for a visit." Hmmm. SIR Link? I didn't remember ever being knighted. Heck, I hadn't seen Zelda since the Mirror Chamber.

We wove our way through the construction crews who were busy rebuilding the castle, eventually reaching the tent that served as Zelda's temporary home. Well, _tent_ might be the wrong word. It was more like the framework of a house, only canvas served as the walls and roof. Zelda's personal escort stood at attention by the doorway. This guy actually looked like a soldier. He wore chainmail, some light armor that was brightly polished, and a well-cared-for greatsword hung at his side.

"Ah! Sir Link, I presume? It is my pleasure and honor to finally meet you. My name is Raven. As you no doubt have guessed, I am Princess Zelda's bodyguard, as well as a close personal friend." Raven offered me his hand.

I shook it, and said, "You are well met, Raven. And please, just call me Link."

He smiled, nodded, and turned to Midna. "And it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss…?"

"Midna."

Raven bowed to her. "Miss Midna. A lovely name for a lovely woman."

This irked me a little bit. I knew he was just being polite, but it still bugged me. I had seen too many guys look at her the wrong way on our way here.

Raven continued, "Very well, then. I shall inform the princess of your arrival."

"There's no need for that, Sir Raven."

Zelda stepped out of her tent. Despite her new living conditions, she was as elegant as ever.

"Hello again, Midna. I see you found Link without too much difficulty." She said. "It looks like you've finally decided to cross that bridge." She added, seeing our entwined hands.

She motioned for us to follow her into the tent. "Come. We have much to discuss." She ducked back inside. We followed her, and I held the flap aside for Midna. Zelda sat down in an elegantly carved wooden chair, while Midna and I sat on the bed.

"So," Zelda started, "What brings you two here?"

"Well, we wanted to catch up, see how everyone's doing, stuff like that. Also, we were wondering if you could tell us about the ocarina used by the Hero of Time." I said.

Zelda frowned. "The Ocarina of Time? Hmmm… well, for starters, I have no idea where it is. After the Hero defeated Ganondorf, he left Hyrule to search for his fairy partner. He took the Ocarina of Time with him. The last time anyone ever saw him was when he went into the Lost Woods, though word eventually came around that he saved a distant land called Termina. However, I CAN tell you about the Ocarina's magical properties. It is a magical artifact that releases its power in the form of songs. One such melody is the Sun's Song. It transports the user exactly twelve hours into the future. The drawback is that it's a one-way trip.

"Wait, let me guess." Midna said. "It's called the Sun's Song because, to the user, the sun seems to appear or disappear from the sky, correct?"

Zelda nodded. "Indeed. I have recited this song before." She giggled. "Let's just say Raven and the other guards were quite alarmed when I vanished from my chambers, only to reappear at two in the morning, acting like nothing had happened."

"Hey, wait a second… How did you use the song's magic without the Ocarina of Time?" I asked.

"And that brings me to my next point." Zelda said. "There are three types of songs: the ones that have no magical power whatsoever, those that become magical when played on a magical instrument, and the ones that are magical regardless of the type of instrument. The Sun's Song is of that last type."

"Oh." I said. "That makes sense, I guess."

Zelda continued, "An example of a semi-magical song would be the Song of Storms. Obviously enough, it creates a thunderstorm, which lasts for several minutes. This is actually how the Hero made peace with the desert-dwelling Gerudo tribe. As you may know, Ganondorf was king of the Gerudo at that time. Because of this, many grew distrustful of them. They had to resort to raiding caravans to survive, as almost all trade with them had been terminated. The Hero came to stop them, but was promptly captured and imprisoned. Using his wits, he escaped from his cell, and freed several other prisoners. However, a platoon of guards spotted them just as they were escaping. He subdued them with no bloodshed and minimal injuries. The tribe's second-in-command watched it happen, and was amazed that a single warrior defeated a group of her fighters, even more so that he did it without bloodshed. The two spoke, and an agreement was reached. The Hero taught them the Song of Storms, and they stopped attacking caravans. As a bonus, the Hero was named an honorary member of the Gerudo. Countless years have passed since then, and the desert is now a grassland. Ironically enough, no Gerudo dwell in the area we refer to as the Gerudo Desert. As the kingdom slowly migrated north, so did the names of the places that surrounded Old Hyrule. Our Gerudo Desert is actually separated from the old one by a mountain range. They do not meet, and yet it is named for people who do not reside there."

"Wow." Midna said in a fascinated voice. "Link told me a few stories about the Hero, but nothing this specific."

I shrugged. "Hey, word of mouth is how it is in Ordon. Only a few of us can read and write, and there's only a handful of books in the village."

"Well, since you two seem so intent on the legends of the Hero, why don't you take this with you?" Zelda got up, and pulled a fairly new volume off the bookcase. "This is a historical text that chronicles the Hero of Time's various deeds. It was written by my ancestor, whose name was also Zelda." She saw the concerned look on my face. "Don't worry, this book is actually quite common."

Midna accepted the book from Zelda, and put it in her storage space.

"Thanks. I'll be sure to read it later." She said.

Zelda looked at me and said, "So, is there anything else I can help you with?"

"Well, there is this one thing…"

XXX

The three of us spent the next several hours chatting, until Raven came in, bearing a message.

"Princess, the mining report you requested from the gorons has just arrived."

Zelda stood up.

"Thank you, Raven. I'll be there momentarily." She turned to Midna and I. "I'm sorry, but I must go. Will you two be staying here tonight?"

I responded, "No, but thanks anyway. We're heading to Kakariko tomorrow, and we'd like to get an early start."

Zelda nodded.

"Okay. In that case, I wish you a safe trip. If you get the opportunity, say hello to Darbus and the Elders for me. Good night."

She curtsied, and followed Raven out of the tent. Then, I stood up and offered Midna my hand.

"Shall we go?"

Smiling, she took it, and we headed back to the inn. At least, that's what we planned.

XXX

We were halfway through the Southern Thoroughfare when a gang of drunks stopped us.

"Hey, pretty lady. Why don'tcha ditch Blondie, and come have some REAL fun with us?"


	11. Chapter 10: The Beginning

Transformation and Banishment

Chapter 10: The Beginning

(Midna's POV)

"Who said that?" Link growled in a voice that screamed: _Danger! Leave now if you wish to continue living!_

A tall, burly man with a shaved head and beard stepped forward, oblivious to all danger.

"I did. What're you gonna do about it, huh?" He taunted.

"If you don't leave us alone, I'm going to kill you." Link threatened.

"You and what army?"

"This one."

Link gestured to the tiny pouch I had enchanted to hold his equipment. Equipment, I might add, that could kill you seven different ways. The man roared with laughter, and his cronies joined in.

Faster than the eye could see, Link drew his Clawshot and fired it at the man. It latched onto his shirt, and before he knew what was happening, Link was flying toward him, fist pulled back for a devastating punch. Link's fist met the man's face in a sickening (but oddly satisfying) _CRUNCH _as the man's nose shattered. He fell over backwards as Link flipped off of him.

"HEY! What'd ya do to da' boss, kid?!"

"Who cares? He hit da' boss! Let's get 'im, boys!"

With a wave of roars, the gang rushed Link. I moved to help him, but a pair of burly arms wrapped around my torso and pinned my arms, preventing me from moving or using my magic.

"Where d'ya think you're going?" The thug whispered in my ear.

Link glanced at me for a second before turning to block a knife strike. He bashed the guy with his shield. Unfortunately, several others took the opportunity to strike with their knives. One gave him a nasty cut on his shoulder, just below the protection of his chainmail. He grunted, mowed down the others with a Spin Attack, then gave this guy a first-class Helm Splitter. Before he hit the ground, Link had his bow out and nocked with an arrow, aimed at the bastard holding me. He paused, re-aimed, and fired. The arrow sliced my thigh, but the guy behind me got much worse. Let's just say he's not having kids anytime soon. Moaning, he collapsed. Link klonked him over the head with the hilt of his sword, making sure he was knocked out.

I looked over the gang. They were all still breathing; Link had apparently used the flat of his blade on them.

"They didn't hurt you did they?" He asked me.

"N-no… I'm fine, Link."

I took a step toward him, and collapsed when I put weight on my injured leg. Link caught me, but winced when I hit his arm.

"Link, you need to get that stitched up, pronto."

His wasn't gushing blood, but it was still bleeding pretty heavily.

"I'm fine, Midna."

"No, you're not. We're going to see Renado."

"How? You can't even walk, and I can't carry you."

I rolled my eyes.

"We can warp, remember?"

He looked sheepish for a second, then his face lit up, like he had an idea. He turned around so his back was facing me, then stood slightly stooped over, with his feet spread apart and his hands held out behind him.

"Hop on."

"Huh?"

"Get on my back. You can't walk, and I can't carry you in my arms, so I'll have to carry you on my back."

"Uhm… okay."

I hobbled over to him, and climbed on. He grunted as my weight strained on his arm, but he held me firm. I closed my eyes, focused my magic, and teleported us to Kakariko Village.

XXX

I felt slightly disoriented as Link and I materialized at the south end of the village. Despite the position we warped in, Link and I were still several feet apart.

"Dammit…" I cursed under my breath.

"Okay, Midna, let's go see Renado." Link said.

I tried to limp over to him, but I tripped on a loose rock. He rushed forward to catch me, but misjudged, and we went down in a heap.

I'm not quite sure how it happened, but somehow I landed on my back, Link on top of me, and his head lay on my stomach, and the rest of him was tangled in my legs. He looked at me sheepishly.

"Sorry about that."

He extricated himself from my legs and stood up, rubbing his injured shoulder. He helped me up, and I hopped on his back. We started towards Renado's but something seemed… off; he had sweat running down his face in streams, and his breathing was labored. This wasn't right; normally something like this was a snap for him.

"Hey, Renado! You there?" He called out as we reached Renado's house. I heard several shuffling sounds, then the latch clicked and the door swung open.

"Link?"

"Hey… Renado…" Link barely managed to wheeze out. He let me down, and I supported myself on the doorframe.

"Renado, my name is Midna, but we can become introduced later. We first came here for treatment of a stab wound on Link's shoulder and a puncture wound on my thigh, but a few minutes ago he became like this. Can you help him?"

"Midna… don't…"

"Not now, Link."

"I'll do what I can. Please, come in." He ushered us inside. "Luda!" He called.

"Yes, father?" The young girl appeared in the bedroom doorway, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

Link chose that moment to fall unconscious, but Renado caught him. Keeping his cool, he ordered Luda, "Prepare the treatment area. Sutures, bandages, disinfectants, and a fever kit."

The young girl nodded, then raced off to prepare; all traces of sleepiness gone.

With my help, Renado carried Link to the treatment room and set him on the quilted bed. I put his tunic, undershirt, and chainmail into my storage space. Renado gave me a questioning look, but decided to ask me later. Luda returned with the supplies. Renado poured some clear liquid on Link's shoulder, then dabbed it off with a towel. With a practiced hand, he sutured the wound and bandaged it.

"There." He said, turning to me. "What about yours?"

Fortunately, I had examined mine earlier.

"It's shallow, but also bleeding a bit. Just give me some bandages and I'll do it myself."

He nodded, and handed me a roll of bandages. I held my sarong out of the way and applied them, then put it back on the tray of supplies.

I motioned for him to follow me into the living room. He nodded, then turned to Luda.

"Luda, please attend to Link's fever. I have some things to discuss with Midna."

The little girl obliged, and began to pat down Link's brow with a damp cloth. Renado followed me into the living room, and we sat down to talk.

"Midna, who exactly are you?"

"It's a long story, but I'll give you the short version. I was Link's companion on his quest, but we were separated when it was over. However, we recently reunited, and here we are."

"And the injuries?"

"Inflicted when a gang of drunks tried to kidnap me."

"Link is a formidable fighter. He would not so easily be injured. How many were there?"

"About twenty."

"… That makes sense. Even a warrior a great as him can't defend from all angles at once."

"FATHER!" Luda's voice cried out from the other room.

Renado jumped up and hurried over, with me right behind him. Luda stood at Link's side, pointing to his shoulder. Renado leaned over to inspect it, then gasped and stumbled backwards.

"Th-those symbols…"

I ignored him, and bent over Link to inspect him myself.

Glowing cyan markings were stemming from the wound.

Markings like mine.


	12. Chapter 11: Transformation

Transformation and Banishment

Chapter 11: Transformation

(Midna's POV)

What was happening to Link? He had somehow come into contact with my magic, obviously enough, but I just didn't know _how._ The magic of the Twili Royal Family was contained in the blood, but that still didn't…

Wait… Contained in the _blood!_

I thought back to when we first arrived in Kakariko, replaying the scene in my head.

… _I landed on my back, Link on top of me, his head lay on my stomach, and the rest of him was tangled in my legs…_

"Our wounds must have come into contact just long enough for the blood to mingle." I thought out loud.

"Excuse me, but what's this about blood? I have been a shaman and healer for many years, but never have I seen a wound infected as such." Renado said.

"It's not an infection, Renado. As you might've guessed, I can use magic, which flows in my blood. I'm guessing that some of it was transferred to Link when our blood mixed, and that's why this is happening. It's being transported throughout his system, altering everything it contacts."

"I've never heard of such a thing."

"Neither have I. Hyrule hasn't seen the magic of my people in thousands of years, and it lies all but forgotten."

"Your people? …I suppose that is why I could not identify you. At first, I thought you were a relative of the zora, because of your skin tone, but your hair and eye color, along with a lack of fins or gills, baffled me. In any case, you know more about Link's condition than I do. Can you cure him?"

I looked sadly at Link.

"No, I can't. But… I can make it so that the magic will not harm him… if all goes well."

"How so?"

"I'll have to make his body so that it can withstand my magic."

Renado remained silent for a minute before speaking.

"…Okay. Link trusts you, and I shall also place my trust in you. Do what you must."

I nodded, then placed my hand over Link's chest.

"Oh gdeosdess, I etenart ye to ganrt tihs one the pewor of Tgwlihit!"

The air around my hand shimmered, and seemed to flow into Link…

(Switch to Link's POV)

_The pain…_

_It's unbearable. It makes all the other pain I've ever felt seem not so bad; pleasant even._

_And yet…_

_It seems so familiar…_

_So haunting…_

_So dark…_

_So foreboding…_

_So… good._

_Good? How can this torture be good?_

_It is a sweet torture, like being separated from the one you love, if only for a short while._

_The one I love…_

_Midna._

_Yes, I shall endure this pain… this suffering… this agony… I shall endure it for her. To be with her again._

_To see her smile…_

_To hear her laugh…_

_To feel her embrace…_

_And…_

_To spend my life with her._

_Nothing gives me greater joy than simply being with her. Without her, I am as nothing._

_Nothing…_

_That horrible state of being… I remember it all too well, that hole in my life, and my heart. That month… it seemed like an eternity…_

_Wait…_

_The pain…_

_It's fading…_

_It's becoming something else…_

_It feels like… magic?_

_Why? I've never used magic. But this magic, it feels so familiar. Like the magic of Twilight._

_Twilight._

_Midna._

_Midna is helping me. I can feel it. And it's working. Already I can feel my strength returning._

_Soon, I'll see her again._

_Soon…_

XXX

I opened my eyes. I lay on a bed in a dimly lit room.

I remembered arriving at Renado's but nothing after that. I must've blacked out.

Midna was asleep in a cot next to my bed, but I could hear voices in the next room.

"Renado, you have to let me see Link! His condition is obviously related to the Twilight, and you know that I, more so than anyone else, am well-versed in that area!"

"While that may be true, Gaven, you still don't have any experience with magic!"

"That's what you think. I'm going in."

The door to my room opened, and light flooded in.

"Link? Is that you?!"

"Wha-? Of course it's me, Gaven. What are you doing here?"

"I'm checking up on you."

"Why? I'm fine. My wound already healed, and I only passed out because I had a fever."

Silence.

"You need to see something." He finally said, handing me a mirror.

Puzzled, I took it, and looked in the reflection.

"HOLY GODDESSES OF HYRULE! WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO ME?!?"

The figure in the mirror had silver hair, electric blue eyes, and ashy-grey skin. I dropped the mirror, and examined the rest of myself. My right arm was mostly black, with the dark color stopping at my shoulder, and at my wrist in an inverted "V" pattern on the back of my hand. Just below the elbow, my forearm was covered in the glowing cyan symbols of the Twili. I looked at my other arm; there was no black mark, but the symbols were there, too. My Triforce mark was also that glowing cyan color.

Midna yawned, then sat up and stretched.

"Mmmm… Link! You're up!"

She jumped off her cot, and nearly tackled me in a hug.

"Ugh… Midna… can't… breathe…!"

She released me with a sheepish look on her face.

"Sorry…"

I pulled her back into a hug.

"I didn't tell you to stop."

She purred in contentment. _This_ was my reason for living. I vowed right then and there to protect her 'till the day I breathe my last. She was the most important thing in my life, and I would treat her as such.

I looked up; Gaven was still sitting there. He was watching us with a sad smile on his face.

"Gaven? What's wrong?"

Midna let me go, and turned to look at him as well.

"Looking at you two… it reminds me of myself, long, long ago…"

Midna and I each gave him a puzzled look. He sat down with a wistful smile.

"Many years ago, I was also in love… with one of the Twili."


	13. Chapter 12: Memories of the Past Pt I

**This chapter's Trivia Freaks are: Lyoko Barbossa, hyrules-secret-shadows, CrimsonDarkness 0013, NinjaWriter11, Twilight Phantom Dragon, Pleneko, and Scrambled Eggz. Good job!**

Transformation and Banishment

Chapter 12: Memories of the Past (Pt. I)

(Gaven's POV)

"What?!?" They exclaimed at the same time.

"B-but that's impossible!" Midna said. "Twili can't exist in the Light World!"

I shook my head.

"Not true. But first, you need to know who I really am. I never knew my mother, but my father was one of the most famous figures in the history of Hyrule. He was known as the Hero of Time."

Before either of them could speak, I shot them a look that told them to keep their mouths shut and let me talk.

"I realize you think this is impossible. I assure you, it is quite possible. Do either of you recognize this?"

I reached into my pocket and pulled out a light blue ocarina with seven holes, a band of silver encircling the mouthpiece, and a golden Triforce symbol etched into the silver.

"The Ocarina of Time?" Link guessed.

Midna stared at it, astonished.

"Correct. I assume Zelda told you of the Ocarina and it's properties, yes? Well, there was also a hidden power that my father discovered. It tremendously lengthens the lifetime of its holder. My father lived to be almost eight hundred years old."

They stared at me in disbelief.

"He did much in those centuries, including create weapons for future heroes. Those Clawshots you possess? He invented them as a step up from this, the Hookshot."

I pulled out the Hookshots my dad had collected on his various journeys. The smallest one was obviously child-sized, and it had a striking yellow color.

Holding up this one, I said, "He stole this one from the Gerudo pirates of Termina as a child. They were… less than pleased, but he managed to escape… with some help."

Putting away the Hookshots, I brought out an intricate mask with a zora's face.

"You ready for this?"

Puzzled, they nodded.

Taking a deep breath, I put the mask on. I had used the transformation masks many times before, but it was always an unpleasant experience. I could feel the magic flowing is my veins and shifting my organs around, which were becoming bigger, smaller, or vanishing completely. My skin gained a pale bluish-green hue, and turned moist to the touch. Fins sprouted on my forearms, and I felt another growing on the back of my head. In reality, the process took only seconds, but it always felt like an eternity.

Then it was over.

To Link and Midna, I now appeared as an ocean zora, with jet-black eyes and razor-sharp fins, wearing a green loincloth supported by a stainless steel belt, and matching metallic boots and gauntlets.

I gestured to the body I was now in.

"This is Mikau. He was beaten and left for dead by the Gerudo pirates. I should mention that these Gerudo have no relation to the peaceful grassland-dwellers who they share names with. Anyways, my father tried to save him, but in vain. Mikau had lingering regrets, but my father laid them to rest with the Song of Healing. He left behind this mask, the embodiment of the laid-back persona that hid his fighting spirit and iron will."

Digging into my temples, I felt the edges of the mask and pulled. The de-transformation was a much less painful process; it felt rather like the magic was being pulled out of my body and sucked into the mask. In a flash of blue light, I was myself again. I flexed my fingers, then put the mask away.

Link and Midna were still reeling from all this new information, but they managed to note the now-serious look on my face.

"But of all the things my father collected in his lifetime, this is perhaps the most dangerous."

I held up a mask that had white hair with light blonde streaks, and red war paint under pupil-less eyes.

"This… is the mask of the Fierce Deity, or Oni as he is sometimes called. He was a demigod in the land of Termina, long ago. I don't know what his story is, but I do know that he is terribly powerful. At the very least, he would equal you in swordsmanship, Link, and I have no doubt that he also possesses incredible strength and magic."

Link stared at the mask with glazed eyes. Then he shook himself out of it, and looked straight at me.

"Yes… I remember. That power… it was so intoxicating. After defeating Majora, I was only just able to remove the mask."

Midna and I stared at him.

"Seeing the mask reawakened memories of the previous Hero." He explained.

"Ah."

Midna just shook her head in disbelief.

"But anyways," I said, "I didn't come to discuss my father. I came to tell of my past. Where was I…?"

"You fell in love with a Twili." Link offered.

I nodded.

"Yes… It was a long, long time ago. I was young, only sixteen. My father and I were on our way back to Hyrule after a three-year training regimen. We were passing by the Arbiter's Grounds when a beam of silver light erupted from the peak of the coliseum. Curious, we decided to investigate…"

(FLASHBACK)

"Wow! What the heck was that?" I asked my dad.

A tall, broad-shouldered man with golden hair, shockingly blue eyes, and a forest-green cloak turned to look where I was pointing. His eyes narrowed when he saw where I was pointing.

"The Arbiter's Grounds… whatever it is, it can't be good. Let's check it out, Gaven."

I pumped my fist into the air.

"YEAH! New dungeon! Let's go, dad!"

Before he could stop me, I had on the Bunny Hood and was racing toward the dilapidated prison. Sighing, he put on the Goron Mask, transformed, and started tearing across the dunes as Darmani, the Goron Hero. His spikes dug into the sand, and he quickly overtook me. So, it was a race, was it? Scowling at him, I poured it on, my feet becoming a blur as I tried to catch up to him. But it wasn't working. He was _too fast_. Then I had an idea. I switched to my Hover Boots and used my momentum to skate over the sandy hills. I caught up to him by the time we got to the entrance. And then I realized I needed to stop.

"Oh, CRAAAAP!!!"

_THUD._

I hit the wall, spread-eagled, next to the stairs that lead to the entrance of the dungeon.

"Owwwwww…"

Darmani rolled up behind me, executed a perfect jump off of a fallen pillar, uncurled, and removed his mask in midair. In a flash of blue light, my father landed at the base of the steps with a soft thud. He looked over at me and rolled his eyes.

"C'mon, genius. Stop goofing off and let's go."

I peeled myself off of the wall, and followed him into the ruins.

XXX

A few stalfos and a redead tried to stop us, but a few swipes of my blade took care of them. Dad looked on proudly.

"That's m'boy." He said, tousling my hair.

I shrugged him off, grinning.

"C'mon, let's go. I wanna see what that light was."

XXX

We climbed a few flights of stairs, eventually reaching the coliseum. A giant slab of black rock stood in the center, and a small platform holding a large, circular mirror with strange runes on it was about forty feet away from the slab. I went over to check out the mirror, but something else caught my attention. A young woman, no older than myself, lay facedown and unmoving in the sand beside the platform.

"Hey dad, come look at this!" I called over to him as I kneeled down to inspect her.

It looked like she was still breathing, so I rolled her onto her back to check for injuries. After a quick once-over, I found her to be fine. But what puzzled me was her skin tone. It was light blue, and in several places, had glowing cyan runes. I poked one, and it brightened slightly at my touch, but dimmed at the loss of it. And her hair was definitely _not_ normal. It had a bright red-orange color, and was warm to the touch. She was different, all right, but it wasn't bad. It was an exotic look that I rather liked. I had met quite a few girls on my journeys with dad, but none of them had this sort of aura. It was dark and alluring, with a hint of mystery.

My father leaned over my shoulder and peered down at her.

"Hmmm… I haven't seen a race like hers before. We should take her to Kakariko. I know of a group of traveling healers who have made their base there. Maybe one of them can help us figure out who -or what- she is."

I frowned. "How are we supposed to get her there? Kakariko is on the other side of Hyrule."

Dad winked. "We use the masks."

With that, he ran back to the entrance of the arena, hopped the fence that lined the staircase, and disappeared from my sight. Shrugging, I picked up the girl, (keeping my hands where they belonged) and was walking towards the entrance when a low rumbling filled the air.

_Oh… I get it!_

Then a giant gloved hand reached over the fence, palm up. It beckoned to me. I hopped on, and the hand lifted us over the fence.

A gargantuan voice boomed out, "READY TO GO?"

I nodded. My father, wearing the Giant's Mask, put us on his shoulder.

"Yup. Let's move."

Dad nodded, then began to run across the desert. I put the girl down, then sat down to enjoy the ride. Out of the harsh sandstorms below, the sun and wind felt good on my skin. I smirked whenever he moved his foot just enough to crush a leever or moldorm.

**Sorry to those of you who wanted one big chapter, but it's a majority vote!**

**Trivia:**_** How many tails does a Keaton have?**_


	14. Chapter 13: Memories of the Past Pt II

**This week's Trivia Freaks are: NinjaWriter11, CrimsonDarkness 0013, Twilight Commando, Scrambled Eggz, IPityYou, and Twilight Phantom Dragon. Good job!**

Transformation and Banishment

Chapter 13: Memories of the Past (Pt. II)

(Gaven's POV)

A few hours later, we arrived in Kakariko. We'd had to stop a few times to let dad's magic supply recharge, but we still made good time.

We took the girl to the inn, and lay her down on a bed in our room.

"Okay, Gaven, I'm going to go fetch a doctor. You stay here and watch over her."

I nodded, and pulled up a chair next to the bed. I didn't see the sly smile on his face as he walked out and shut the door behind him.

I turned my attention back to the girl. She looked so fragile, as she just lay there. On a whim, I started to trace the patterns on her arm. The runes glowed, and she shifted a little in her sleep. Something inside me stirred, and an odd feeling washed over me. It wasn't unpleasant, just… different. It was one of those feelings that defied description, like when you climb a mountain, and upon reaching the top, you look down upon the world below, and you realize that, in the grand scheme of things, your problems aren't that big of a deal. You are totally at peace with yourself, and everything else. Yes, it was one of those feelings.

I sat in my chair for about half an hour, contemplating. The girl had shifted about several times, and was now wearing a peaceful expression. I got up and walked over to the window. It was twilight. Dad always called it the Merging Hour, where the realms of Light and Dark briefly mixed. It sounded almost corny to me, but he was usually right about this sort of thing.

I let out a sigh. I had been so focused on my training these past few years, I'd never really given any thought to what I would do when it was over. Other than my swordsmanship, I had never learned a trade. I guess I could open a dojo or something, but that wasn't what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I would certainly pass on my skills one way or another, but I would rather it be to my own son.

"Ugh… Ark ftu et weeplas?" Came a voice from behind me.

I turned around. The strange girl was sitting up, rubbing her head. I walked back over to my chair and sat down.

"Feeling better?"

Head shot up to look at me, and she stared at me with the most beautiful eyes I'd ever seen. The "whites" weren't white at all, but rather the color of melted gold. Her irises were a bright crimson color, but with flecks of crystal blue, and the pupils were a deep red, almost black.

"Li eftu sinta?"

"Huh? Listen, I can't underst… whaaa…?"

She reached up and placed two fingers on my forehead. A feeling of euphoria washed over me, but I could still feel what felt like a tendril of magic digging around in my brain. After a few seconds, the tendril retreated.

I shook myself out of it, then asked her, "What was that?"

Not really expecting an answer, I leaned back in my chair and raised my eyes to the ceiling.

"I read your mind and learned your language."

"Huh-WHOAAA!"

I lost my balance, and the chair fell over backwards. She giggled in a voice that could only belong to a goddess. Blushing, I got up and dusted myself off.

"So tell me, Light Dweller, what's your name, and where am I?"

"You're in Kakariko Village of Hyrule. And I am Gaven, son of Link, the Hero of Time." I said proudly.

"Nice to meet you, Gaven. My name is Meidona, but you can call me Mei."

_Meidona… what a beautiful name…_

"Mei… okay, that works. But I'd like to know, why were you at the Arbiter's Grounds?"

"Arbiter's Grounds?"

"It's an old prison out in the Gerudo Desert. My father and I found you out there, next to some weird mirror thing."

"Was there a large slab of black rock nearby?"

"Yeah, why?"

Her smile disappeared.

"… I'm never going back, then…"

"Huh? Back where?"

"My home… the Twilight Realm…"

"Twilight Realm? What's that?"

"It's an alternate dimension that lies parallel to Hyrule. Long ago, the ancestors of my people, the Twili, were banished there for practicing shadow magic."

"Whoa… but if they were banished, then what are you doing here?"

"You could say things came full circle."

"How so?

"I was banished from the Twilight Realm for practicing the magic of the Light World. Normally, the Twili can't survive in the light, but I became immune to it, fortunately.

"…"

"What?"

"… That's awesome."

"Awesome? ... I guess it kinda is, since this makes me the first Twili to truly exist in the Light World."

My father's voice echoed around the room, saying, "So, a Twili, huh? I've never met one of them before."

All of a sudden, he seemed to appear in the window frame, holding an oddly-shaped mask with a dull slate-gray color. Of course. The Stone Mask. He was probably just as curious about Mei as I was, so once he saw that she didn't need a doctor, he left, put the mask on, and snuck back into the room through the window.

Mei gazed at him with an air of the utmost respect.

"Link, the Hero of Time…"

She hopped out of her bed and bowed to him.

"Tales of your deeds have transcended even the dimensional barriers. Still, many Twili think you are but a legend."

He smiled gently and said, "Please, raise your head. I can't stand it when people treat me like some kind of god. I'm just a guy who got dragged into the whole 'Hero of Legend' business. But even so, it's something I've never once regretted having to do." He finished with a smile.

Mei stood up.

"He's modest, too. I like that. You don't find a lot of modest heroes these days."

"I just did what had to be done. But enough about me. You said you experimented with light magic?"

"I did. But, it's pretty basic stuff. Just a few elemental spells, and a few healing enchantments thrown in for good measure. Like I said, basic stuff. But even so, it was still enough to get me banished."

"That sucks." I said. "So now that you're stuck here, what are you going to do?"

"She's going to stay with us." My father declared. "Use your head, son. She's been stranded in a completely alien world, and doesn't know how things work here. It's our duty to help her figure things out, and once she's capable of handling herself, she can either stay with us or go out on her own. It's her decision. And besides, from what I've seen, you two have taken quite a liking to each other."

At this last part, Mei and I both blushed furiously, and she tried to hide her face in her hair. I simply scratched the back of my head and tried to play it cool. I don't think it worked. Seeing my epic fail, Mei laughed and let her hair down.

"You're such a goof."

"It's one of my many charms."

"Uh-huh. Suuuure."

"What do think is my best feature? My goofiness? The dashing good looks? My skill with a blade? Or is it perhaps my incredible modesty?"

"Oh, yeah, it's gotta be the modesty."

Dad laughed at our antics and said, "Okay, enough of the flirting, you two. We're getting an early start tomorrow, so we have to go to bed pretty soon. Mei, this is your room. Gaven and I will be in the one on the other side of the hallway. Do you need anything else before we go?"

"Yeah… I would like to thank you. For as long as I can remember, I've been an outcast because of my interest in the Light World. You guys are the first ones who really treated me as an equal, the first ones who really cared about my well-being. So… thanks."

"Uh, sure." I said, surprised. I smiled. "Yeah… Friends are a nice thing to have. Good night, Mei."

"Good night, Gaven."

**Okay, this wraps up Pt. II of the flashback. I have a few things I'd like to say, so bear with me for a moment.**

**First off, I'm open to ideas for the storyline, and any OC's you'd like to have in the story would be greatly appreciated. Send me YOUR ideas! (And don't worry, I'll be sure to credit you if I put your ideas in the story.)**

**Secondly, I love reviews (who doesn't?) and I'd like to hear your opinion on the chapter. THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE FLAMES. I'm constantly second-guessing myself, wondering if I should've changed this or deleted that. So, your opinions would be greatly appreciated!**

**And last off, I'd just like to thank you guys. You reviewers are one of my biggest motivations to keep writing, and I've gotten more reviews than I could've ever hoped for. (Which is, at the time of this writing, 164.) So if you've reviewed more than 5 times, give yourself a big 'ole pat on the back, and enjoy a free cookie! *****Hands out a giant plate of cookies***** Enjoy! :D**

**Trivia: **_**Who originally said the quote: "Friends are a nice thing to have."**_


	15. Chapter 14: Memories of the Past Pt III

**This chapter's Trivia Freaks are: CrimsonDarkness 0013, NinjaWriter11, and Scrambled Eggz. Great job!**

Transformation and Banishment

Chapter 14: Memories of the Past (Pt. III)

(Gaven's POV)

_It had been three years to the day since my dad and I stumbled upon Mei in the Arbiter's Grounds. She had adapted to living in the Light World rather well, even taking up the art of the sword. She had a very unique style; she liked to channel elemental magic the blade and shoot it at her opponent. It was effective, but by no means unbeatable. Most higher-level swordsman would be able to evade it and launch a counterattack with minimal difficulty. I should know; she often tried to sneak up and shock me with a little bit of electricity. We had also started "seeing" each other, and we grew closer with each passing day. Dad was supportive, and, knowing him, he had foreseen this from the beginning. He's a crafty old man, that's for sure. And when we settled into a small village near Hyrule's border, be bought a house where all three bedrooms were right next to each other. Of course, his was in between Mei's and mine. Despite my grievances, the three of us opened up a dojo, which quickly became renowned throughout Hyrule. If they applied, nine out of ten graduates were accepted by the Royal Guard. Those who didn't wish to join the Guard usually aspired to go out on their own and become adventurers, traveling swordsmen, or something similar. But we were proud to say that none of them became mercenaries or bounty hunters. In addition to the intense sword training, we also gave extensive lessons on swordsman etiquette and honor. Father also believed in taking up a blade only when completely necessary. "It is the duty of those with power to protect those who cannot protect themselves." He often said. Whenever I heard this, I couldn't help but think of Mei…_

"Gaven! Snap out of it!"

"Huh?"

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. My dad was standing in front of me, an exasperated look on his face.

"We open up in half an hour! Get your butt in gear, and let's go!"

"Yeah, okay. I'm coming."

He turned and walked into the hallway. I went outside to set up the practice dummies, but I could hear him nagging at Mei to get up. I rolled my eyes, then rubbed at the rings under them.

_Sheesh. She has a right to be tired. We both do…_ I thought as I jammed the wooden stake that supported the dummy into the dirt. I affixed small red-and-white targets that represented vital spots or places where you could stun your opponent, and stood back to admire my work. A twig snapped behind me, and I dove to the side just in time to see a small bolt of electricity shoot into the dummy I had just completed.

"Jeez, when did you get so fast?" Mei complained. She sheathed her sword, then helped me up off of the ground.

"It's all part of the training." I replied, pulling her into a hug.

She sighed gently, then rested her head on my shoulder and whispered, "Do you think he…?"

"Naah. The Goron's Lullaby knocked him out cold. I had to play the Sonata of Awakening to get him out of bed this morning."

"Good." She gave me a quick peck on the cheek, then started walking over to the practice hall. "C'mon, the students will be here soon. Hurry up!"

XXX

The day passed uneventfully, but that changed once the students went home. Dad called me over with a serious look on his face.

"Yeah? What's up, dad?"

"In case you haven't noticed, today marks it exactly three years since we found Mei."

"Uh-huh. I remember."

"Well, I got each of you something. But it's at the blacksmith's, so you're going over to pick it up."

"Sure. What is it?"

"You'll find out when you get there."

"Hmph."

"Just go!"

"Okay, I'm goin'!"

I grabbed my Gilded Sword –an heirloom from dad- and started walking towards town.

Several of the townspeople said hello, and I waved to them. A gaggle of gossiping girls saw me; several of them squealed and blushed. Others tried to… flirt with me solely through body posture, and a sassy-looking redhead face-palmed herself before smacking the others upside the head. She gave me a thumbs-up, and I thanked her with a small smile and a quick nod. Her friends exploded at the gesture and went absolutely NUTS. I rolled my eyes and tossed a few Deku Nuts over my shoulder as I walked away.

A few minutes later and several blocks away, I arrived at the blacksmith's.

"Good evenin' to yeh, Master Gaven. Are yeh here to pick up yer's and Miss Mei's gifts? Oh, how foolish o' me, course yeh are. Wait here jus' a tic."

"Uhh… okay."

He went into the back room, rummaged around for a minute, then came back out holding two packages that were hard, thin, and about four feet long each. He held up one of them and said, "This one's yer's. Yer father says open it, but to let Mei open her own."

"Okay. I'll do that."

He handed me the slightly larger of the two. I carefully undid the cloth wrapping, and inside lay a beautifully crafted sword. The hilt was midnight blue, and had an odd shape. I could liken it to the Master Sword's wing-shaped one, only without the indentations that made up the "feathers". The pommel was triangular and had bright red ruby inset in it. I drew the sword from its scabbard. The blade was blindingly polished, I could literally see myself in it.

"That be one o' the finest swords I ever did make. The blade be made o' some magic metal from a… what'd he call it? A Mirror Shield, I think he said. Anyways, he also wanted me to tell yeh to –uh? Whazzat?"

The ground shook violently, and what sounded like thunder crashed in the distance. I turned around.

_That sounds like it's coming from the dojo… oh, no._

As if on cue, a bolt of _red_ lightning crashed down in the distance. A chill ran up my spine.

"Thanks, Mr. Gabora, but I gotta go!"

I grabbed Mei's sword and started running towards the dojo. It started raining, and all the townspeople retreated into their nice, safe, not-being-attacked homes.

I was dashing through the streets when it hit me. "It" was a magical shockwave, and I felt like I got punched in the chest by an Iron Knuckle. Clutching at my heart, I resumed running towards the dojo. I could only hope that Mei and dad would be able to hold off whatever it was until I got there.

XXX

The sight that greeted me was horrifying. The dojo was nothing more than a smoldering wreck, and neither dad nor Mei were in sight. I walked slowly through the rubble, looking for any signs of life. The rain started coming down even harder, drowning out all sound. This was creeping me out, and the rain had soaked me to the bone. I drew my Gilded Sword. As much as I wanted to try my new Mirror Blade, now did not strike me as the time for unknowns. There was a lightning flash, and I saw a yellow-eyed silhouette standing on a pile of rubble.

"Who are you?!" I yelled at it.

The lightning flashed again, and I got a glimpse of the figure before it faded into the darkness once more. A demonic mask. Limbs covered with frayed bandages. A lithe figure, definitely female, covered by thick black garments. A pair of strange blades, curved at a single point, but with the sharp edge on the inside. Dark hair, but with small black and white strands. Her solid yellow eyes turned blood red.

"… Xenocrates…"

"I'll kill you!"

I rushed her, blinded by anger. She let out a small "Hmph" and batted me away with a flick of her wrist, shattering my sword as she did. I landed a good twenty feet away, and shards of metal rained down upon me. I coughed and spat up blood. I could feel that several of my ribs had broken, as well as a few other things. But my legs were okay, so I struggled to my feet and looked around. The mysterious Xenocrates had vanished, but I could see a figure laying in the mud a few foot away. My heart froze when I realized who it was.

"MEI!!!"

Ignoring the stabbing pain in my chest, I ran over to her motionless body. I fell to my knees and held her in my arms.

"Mei… Mei, don't you dare die on me! Please… please don't die… I need you…"

As if answering my pleas, her bright ruby eyes flickered open.

"G…Gaven…?"

"Mei!"

"I'm sorry… I wasn't strong enough to stop her. The dojo…"

"I know. Just rest. Save your strength."

"I'm sorry, Gaven. It's too late for me…"

"Don't talk like that, Mei! Wait here, I'll go get-"

"No… Please, just stay here. I don't want to die alone…"

"But… but…"

In an unbelievable feat of personal strength, she smiled.

"It'll all work out, love."

"No it won't!"

"If you truly believe that, then you don't love me."

"W-what? Mei… I love you with all my heart. You know that."

"I do. And I love you too…" She fell silent, and her eyes closed.

"Mei? MEI!"

I shook her, and she regained consciousness. She opened her eyes, which had lost their color and were now a dull red.

"My… my time… here is… almost up, Gaven." She shed a single tear, which glowed with an inner light. She picked it up and placed it in my palm, using her magic to solidify it. "This contains… my endless love for you. Treasure it… always…" Her voice was barely a whisper, and I could see the light fading from her eyes. "Goodbye, Gaven. I… love… you…"

"I love you too. Goodbye… Meidona."

Her eyes faded, and she became limp in my arms. I suddenly became aware of the tears streaming down my face. With a trembling hand, I closed her eyes, then wiped my own.

"She really, truly loved you, you know." My father's voice came from behind me.

"I know." I set Mei's body down, then turned to face my father. Or what was left of him. He was nothing more than a ghostly apparition.

"I'm sorry I couldn't protect her."

"It's not your fault."

"You're right. It's that Xenocrates' fault. I'd love to have more time to explain, but I don't. She was after this." He reached into his ghostly satchel and pulled out the Fierce Deity's mask. Only it wasn't shadowy, it looked as real as I did. He handed it to me, as well as the satchel, which solidified. "Protect this with your life. Let no one know of its existence. This is my final request. Now, go forth and do not falter, my child!" He slowly disappeared, leaving me there alone, holding enough power to bring down an empire.

"I will, father." I paused, and turned to face the world. "By the almighty goddesses, I WILL kill you, Xenocrates!"

XXX

The next day, I buried Mei and my father. The townsfolk came to pay their last respects, but kept their distance from me. They knew I wanted to be alone.

I salvaged what I could from the rubble, which wasn't a lot. All of dad's items were in the satchel, and I would be sure to use them. Exept… the mask of the Fierce Deity. That would be my last resort, my ace in the hole. Simply holding the mask, I could feel the power radiating off of it. A power so great, even Xenocrates would be as nothing. I would enjoy exacting my revenge.

XXX

Two hundred years have passed since that day.

**Aaaannd… CUT! Phew, that was a doozy, huh?**

**First off, I do not own Xenocrates. That privlege belongs to CrimsonDarkness 0013, who I thank for supplying me with such an epically evil villain. Thanks, Crimson!'**

**And to NinjaWriter11, without whom I'd probably run out of inspiration. She's one of my best friends here, and I thank her for her support. Thanks, Ninja!**

**Okay, running out of computer time, so here's the trivia!**

_**What is the name of the little girl who lives in Ikana Canyon with her father?**_


	16. Chapter 15: Lingering Shadows

**This chapter's Trivia Winners are: NinjaWriter11 and CrimsonDarkness 0013. Great job!**

Transformation and Banishment

Chapter 15: Lingering Shadows

(Gaven's POV)

"And that is the story of my past. I spent those last two hundred years searching for Xeno or any information about her."

Midna was shocked into silence, but Link managed to pull his jaw off the floor and make his voice work.

"Gaven… I'm sorry. You have had to endure hardships that the rest of us can only imagine. Is there any way I, no WE can help?"

"As much as I'd like to say yes, I can't. Hunting down and killing Xeno is my problem and mine alone."

"Bullshit."

I looked up at him, shocked.

"Xeno killed your father –my predecessor- and your lover. If someone murdered Rusl and Midna in cold blood, I'd hack my way through an army of Darknuts and back just for the opportunity to fight them."

At hearing this, a small smile met my lips.

"Well, actually…"

Midna regained her voice. "Oh, no. You actually did that?!"

"Well, technically they were Lizafols, but…"

Link raised an eyebrow at me. "Wait, Xeno commands monsters, too?"

"No. Their leader had some information that proved useful to me."

"Oh." Link mumbled.

"Well, spill it, mask boy." Midna said. "What have you learned about Xeno?"

I gritted my teeth. "Next to nothing, dammit. In my travels, I've met some higher-level wizards who've heard of her, only they refer to her as "The Fallen Messenger". I don't know why, but that's apparently what she calls herself. She is unable to use magic, but by the same coin is also immune to it. I'd say she doesn't need it; she's inhumanly strong. I've got the scars to prove it." To emphasize my point, I lifted up my tunic and poked one of several bumps on my ribcage. "Not all of them set perfectly, but they don't give me any trouble. However, that's beside the point. As I said, Xeno is immune to magic, so she must be fought using purely physical means. Still… the only way I can think of doing that is by using the mask of the Fierce Deity, which I really don't want to have to do. If I lost control…" My eyes fell to the floor. "Hyrule would probably be destroyed."

Link snorted. "Hmph. Your father was too wary of Oni's power. I'm not. I bet I could take him down. But maybe I'm just being stupid or overconfident, though."

"Or both." Midna offered.

I snickered a little in spite of myself, and Link glared at both of us.

"Fine. Maybe I'm being a little overconfident, but then again, we don't know how strong Oni is. I have a vague idea, but then again, there were a lot of variables, so we can't rely on it… Wait a second, have you ever tried the mask on?"

I shook my head. "No. There were a couple of times when I thought I might have to, but I never actually did."

"Okay, so then where does that leave us?"

"Well, I was out travelling the world when I heard of Hyrule's recent plight. But by the time I had gotten back, however, you already had things wrapped up. So I joined The Group, knowing I would meet the Hero sooner or later. But when we met, you didn't recognize me, so I had to keep my identity a secret."

"So… you held back in our little duel?"

"Yeah. I figured you shouldn't have to know about me unless it was absolutely necessary."

"Yeah. Talking to your reincarnated father must be a little awkward, huh?"

"Not really. I believe that you two have similar qualities and ideologies, but aside from possessing the Triforce of Courage, you guys aren't really connected at all."

Link breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. I don't think I could handle having kids."

Midna elbowed him in the ribs.

"Well, at least not yet." He hastily added.

"Aaaanyways, if you guys insist on helping me take down Xeno, I need to know what your abilities and strengths are. You first, Link."

"Uh, well, as you know, I'm pretty experienced with a sword, but I'm also good with a bow, proficient with bombs and boomerangs, and I ride horses. And I can turn into a wolf."

I raised an eyebrow at him.

"It's a long story." He added.

"Okay… what about you, Midna?"

"I'm a magic user. I can teleport people or objects, hide in shadows, and use Twilight magic, which I'm sure you're familiar with. I hate to say it, but I'm not much for physical combat. I'm okay with a staff, but that's about it."

"All right. And so you guys know what I can do, I use my various masks, I'm an excellent swordsman, immune to fire, an experienced tracker, and I possess a vast library of knowledge on the ways of the world."

"Okay then," Link said, "in a word, we have a warrior, a sorceress, and a travelling swordsman."

"Sounds about right."

"Okay, boys, we've got enough in the area of brute strength, but we need someone with finesse and experience in close-range combat. The martial arts, if you will."

"So… one of the Sheikah?" I suggested.

"The who?" Link and Midna asked at the same time.

"The Sheikah. A tribe of people who are highly experienced in espionage, guerilla warfare, and especially hand-to-hand combat. They work for the Royal Family, advising them, guarding VIP's, and running communications, that sort of thing. One of them would make the ideal person to cover all our bases."

(Switch to Link's POV)

"… ideal person to cover all our bases."

A bolt of pain shot through my skull, and I clamped my hand to my forehead. I could hear Gaven's concerned voice, but it sounded far away.

"Link? Link! What is it?"

"More memories…" I managed to choke out.

Multiple images flashed before my eyes. Several of a tall, intimidating woman with white hair, sharp red eyes, and light body armor. She was handing me a purple coin. More memories, now of a young man clad in white and blue, with a deep crimson mark of an eye and teardrop printed on his shirt. One of his red eyes was hidden by cropped blond hair. Two names came to mind: Impa and Sheik.

And then I was whipped back to reality. The room slowly came into focus, and I could make out Gaven waving a hand in front of my face.

"Helllooo… Earth to Link, come in Link."

I swatted his hand away.

"Very funny. Aren't you supposed to be all serious and melancholy?"

He shrugged.

"I'm good at dealing with things." He said with a hint of sadness.

Midna reached over and hugged him.

"Awww… you poor thing."

He gently pushed her away.

"Please… don't do that. It reminds me too much of Mei."

"Oh… sorry." She paused for a second. "Hey, what did her sword look like? You mentioned it, but never really described it."

"Hm... you could say it was something of a color negative of mine. An off-white hilt, same shape as mine, the pommel had a sapphire embedded into it, and the blade was... very unique. It had the same reflective properties as mine, although one could describe it as cloudy; a dull gray with darker patches that seemed to shift about."

"What happened to it?"

"I buried it with her. It was meant for her, and her alone."

I drew my sword from it's resting place beside my bed.

"Yeah... I know what that's like. I couldn't imagine anyone else using my sword.'

I sheathed it with a quiet _shink_, then gently stroked the worn leather on the outside. The room was quiet for a few minutes. Judging from the thoughtful look on his face, Gaven was drawing up plans. Midna was playing with a spark of magic.

"All right, enough of this." I said.

Gaven looked up from his scheming. Midna clenched the magic in her fist and did likewise.

"I'm better. We know about Gaven. Xeno needs to be taken down. We need to find someone to help us. I say we get up, get prepped, and head out. You guys good with that?"

Gaven's expression changed to one of deviousness, and he said, "Even Xeno should have trouble with all three of us."

Midna smirked, showing a single pearly fang.

"We won't even need you, mask boy."

I threw the covers off of myself and jumped out of the bed. Midna handed me my tunic, hat, and chainmail.

"You're gonna need these."

I gave her a quick nod of appreciation, then slipped on the metal jacket. It clinked a little as I shifted around, then I decided it was comfy and pulled on my tunic. I put on my funny little hat, strapped on my sword, and turned to the other two.

"You guys ready?"

Midna nodded, but Gaven motioned for us to wait a second. He pulled out what I presumed to be his father's satchel, and withdrew a MASSIVE greatsword from it. It was reddish-purple in color with a bright green plane on each side of the blade. There were black roses etched into the green. The sword didn't appear to have a sheath, since he simply put it through a leather loop on his baldric.

"Sure you can lift that thing?" Midna teased.

In response, he simply put on a pair qof fingerless gauntlets that were covered in gold plates. A brilliant ruby sat dead center on the back of each hand.

"Oh, yeah."

XXX

A few minutes later, the three of us stood outside. Gaven picked up a good-sized rock, then wordlessly tossed it into the air. As it came down, he brought out a large metal hammer with his other hand, then batted the rock with an earsplitting _CLANG_. I winced, but looked up just in time to see the rock fly over the hills and land somewhere in East Hyrule Field.

I let out a low whistle.

"Phew. That's pretty impressive. I thought you said you weren't strong enough to face Xeno, but you look plenty strong to me."

He put the hammer away and turned to face us.

"The Golden Gauntlets enhance the user's strength through a type of passive magic. I don't know if they'd be of any use against Xeno, considering her immunity. But, they work for travel."

Suddenly, he collapsed, clutching at his chest. I rushed over to help him, but he pushed me away.

"Get ready... she's here..."

"Who?! Who's... here... Are you messing with us?! There's no way Xeno could appear now! What are the odds?"

"They're higher than you think, Hero." A strangely female voice called out.

I turned around to search for the voice's owner. Clad entirely in black, a lone figure stood atop the cliffs over the Spirit's Spring. She leaped down and landed with a feline grace, creating a small splash as she did.

"Who would have guessed? The Fierce Deity's mask, the Fused Shadows, and the Triforce of Courage, all in the same little run-down town?"

I drew my sword and went into my battle stance. I glanced over at Gaven. He was gone. I turned back to face Xeno, but discreetly looked around for him.

"YOU KILLED THEM!" I heard him roar.

Xeno wordlessly executed a backflip at least ten feet in the air just in time to dodge Gaven's greatsword. In midair, she reached out under herself and seemed to grab at something in the air. Her hand came away clutching a mask, and Gaven materialized where it had been.

"Cute toy. But it doesn't work on me." She said, tossing the mask into the spring behind her.

(Switch to Gaven's POV)

Xeno threw my mask over her shoulder as if it were nothing more than a piece of trash. I could feel my blood boiling.

"Why are you here? I've been trying to find you for decades, then you waltz on in and start talking about our objects of power as if they were yours!"

"It's quite simple. I need power to accomplish my mission. You three have power."

"So what? You just expect us to hand it over to you?"

"No." She adopted a battle stance. "I'll fight you for it."

"I'm not going to lose. I'll never let you get this mask."

"We'll see."

Her eyes turned red, and she sprang at me. I brought up my sword and blocked her... fist?

"I don't need weapons." She stated coolly.

She backflipped away, and I did likewise. I charged at her, thinking _deja vu_... She prepared to strike, just like last time, but I changed my strategy. I jumped to the side, rolled, and brought up my blade in a spinning slash. Xeno put up her arm, and they met with a resounding _CLANG_. Some of her bandages were sliced off, revealing a shining obsidian-black arm brace. I gritted my teeth. _Damn... She's fast!_ I pressed down even harder, then used her arm like a springboard and launched myself backwards in a flip. I landed on my feet and looked up at her. She hadn't moved a muscle.

"You need more practice, boy."

She vanished. I started forward, but received a rain of blows to my gut. She then moved on to my sides, back, and face. I couldn't even see her, she was moving so fast. And then she reappeared in front of me, not even winded. I was a bloody mess; she'd worked me over in seconds.

_Damn..._

_You can still beat her if you use it._

_No. I'm not going to resort to that unless I absolutely have to._

_You just got your ass handed to you on a silver platter! Put it on!_

_NO!_

"Use it. You don't stand a chance unless you do." Xeno's cold voice jerked me out of my reverie.

"N... never..." I choked out. I could taste the blood from my internal injuries.

"Fine." She leaped forward and slammed me, on my back, to the ground, which was covered in my blood. She drew one of her large ghurka knives and held it over me, poised to strike.

"Then die."

* * *

**What a cliffie! Man, I'm horrible. I'm gonna catch hell from some of you guys *COUGH*Ninja*COUGH*, but you'll just have to wait until next time!**

**Hey people, give a big Thank-You to NinjaWriter11, who provides me with ideas, encouragement, and now OFFICIAL T&B fanart! It's still in progress, but I'll tell you when it's up on DeviantArt!**

**I'm still open to story and character ideas, as well as constructive criticism.**

**Trivia: _Name the greatsword Gaven uses, as well as how to obtain it._**


	17. Chapter 16: An Unexpected Savior

**This chapter's Trivia Winners are: Scrambled Eggz, Orriandra, and x-DragonSoul-x! Great job! Many of you were thrown off by the size, and paid no attention to color. The answer was the Great Fairy's Sword, from Majora's Mask.**

**And now, the new T&B!**

Transformation and Banishment

Chapter 16: An Unexpected Savior

(Gaven's POV)

_CHINGGG_.

Something flew past my head and hit Xeno's knife, which flew out of her hand and embedded itself in the stone a few feet away. Several silver objects whizzed through the air and lodged themselves in Xeno's armored torso. I couldn't tell, but it seemed like she frowned under her mask.

She jumped backwards and said, "We'll meet again."

She retrieved her knife from its stone sheath and slashed at the air with it. To my astonishment, a tear seemed to appear in the fabric of space, and she leapt through. The portal closed with a small _whoosh_.

"Hey. You okay?"

A dark figure stood over me, arm outstretched. Judging from the long ponytail that fell over its shoulder, the figure was female. But, due to sun, directly overhead, I couldn't make out any of her features. I accepted her offer, and she helped pull me up.

"Drink this. It'll help with the injuries."

She handed me a bottle of blue potion, which I gratefully accepted.

I swallowed the last of the stuff and said "Thanks. Were you the one who saved me?"

"Well, your sorry butt wasn't going to save itself."

I raised an eyebrow and turned my head to look at her. She wore an unusual outfit not unlike the ones that the few Sheikah I'd met wore. The bulk of it was black, but there were red highlights on her forelimbs as well as a matching cloth wrap draped around her shoulders and neck. Her long russet hair was in a ponytail, with a few strands framing a pretty face that seemed centered around her emerald-green eyes. Even standing a good half-foot below me, she carried herself with the air of a seasoned fighter.

"I'm Tora. And you are?"

"My name's Gaven."

"Gaven, okay. And who are they?" She asked, gesturing to Link and Midna, who were trudging over to us, rubbing their heads. They each sported a small purple bruise on their left temple.

Link reached us first and muttered something under his breath. Then Midna walked up and smacked him upside the head. "Watch your language, Wolfy."

Link massaged his head where Midna hit him and turned to me. "Sorry we couldn't help you out back there. Just before Xeno took you out, she came over and made it so we couldn't interfere. I think she hit a pressure point or somethimg."

"Yeah, it hurts like hell." Midna added.

"The temple is a good spot to hit if you want to quickly incapacitate an opponent. I make use of it quite often." Tora remarked.

"Uh, okay. Who's your new friend, Gaven?" Midna asked.

"Link, Midna, this is Tora. Tora, there two are Link and Midna."

"Link… you're that Hero guy, right?" She said, extending her hand.

"Something like that." Link replied, shaking her hand and smiling.

"And Midna. Good to meet you, too. I'm assuming you're Link's girlfriend or something?"

"I am, so don't get any ideas."

"Hey, chill out. I'm not interested in a relationship right now. I just wanna go out and see the world."

At hearing this, Midna seemed to relax a little. "Okay, good. And sorry about that, I'm just sick of other people trying to make a move on my man."

I smiled sadly. "Yeah, I know what that's like. The students always tried to show off for Mei, but then she'd just step in and show them what they did wrong. Not to mention I'd duel them if they got too cocky." I sighed. "But enough of that. Where do we go from here?"

Link furrowed his brow. "I don't know. Zelda should know something about the Sheikah, but-" He was cut off by Tora.

"What do you want with the Sheikah?!" She demanded.

Surprised, Midna answered, "We'd like to have one of them help us take down that _thing_ that just nearly killed Gaven. She's a menace to Hyrule and all the lands beyond it."

Apparently satisfied with her answer, Tora cooled down.

"Okay, gotcha. But… _thing_? It seemed more like a person than a creature. What'd you call her? Xeno?"

"Xeno, short for Xenocrates. She killed some people who were very important to me." I told her.

"People generally don't give their enemies nicknames, you know."

"I know. During my travels, I found out that she changed her name for reasons I still haven't found out."

"Gotcha. And, I'll help you take her down."

"Huh?! Sorry, but I can't-"

"Quit whining. I was trained by a Sheikah master. Anything they can do, I can do."

"Yeah, but-"

"Just stop. I've made my decision, and you're getting my help whether you want it or not. And besides, I doubt that they'd lend you a seasoned warrior when their numbers are so few. I'm coming."

Link held up his arms in defeat. "Okay, okay! Quit arguing, you two! Tora, you saved Gaven, and that's good enough for me. Welcome to the team."

XXX

Several hours later, we had camp set up in a small clearing amid the boulders of the mountains. While Xeno was always my top priority, I still had an obligation to The Group, and I planned to finish this one last mission setting out again to hunt her down. Tora had revealed a bit more about herself, but I got the feeling that she was used to being silent. She was eighteen, studied under a Sheikah master for most of her life, and didn't much care for gender roles. She reminded me of Ashei, although a bit more refined. She fought equally well with projectiles, knives, and in hand-to-hand combat. Heck, she even caught us dinner by skewering some fish with her throwing stars.

It was around midnight; Link and Midna had fallen asleep in each other's arms, Tora lay on top of a rock either sleeping or looking at the stars, and I was staring into the dying campfire, reflecting.

So much had happened in the past twenty-four hours. I now had three other fighting for my cause, one of whom was the Hero himself, Xeno had resurfaced and shown immense power… it was a lot to process.

But one thing gnawed at me more than any other.

I was out of leads. I had nothing on where to go next or who to talk to. The trail had simply gone cold. Xeno wasn't likely to reappear for quite some time, if the past was any indication. Even if I wanted to face her, there was no way of knowing where she was.

I let out a frustrated growl and got up. I needed to vent.

I scribbled a quick note to the others in case they got up, and started towards a favorite spot of mine.

Twenty minutes, seven miles, and four transformations later, I reached my destination. A "stress-release area", with scorch marks, small craters, and shards of rock littering the pulverized ground.

I used the Elegy of Emptiness to make several clones of myself, and then brought them to life with the transformation masks.

They were the ultimate practice dummies; they could fight back, plan ahead, and feel pain, but they weren't truly alive in terms of a conscious mind. It was a bit of a shame, really. They reacted only to the attacks of their creator, and thus could not be used as soldiers.

I sparred with them for a while, letting all my anger and frustration guide my blade. It was hard to take them all on at once; they played to their strengths and covered each other's weaknesses. The deku was fast but liked to distract you with his little bubble shots, and Mikau would parry most of your attacks to give the slow-but-powerful Darmani an opening.

"Huh… interesting training method." A voice behind me observed.

I gave the signal to stop the session and threw a knife at the intruder. They caught the knife between two fingers and studied the blade.

"Is that any way to treat your friends? Nice throw, by the way."

I sighed. "Tora, is now really a good time? I need to be alone."

I dissolved the clones and collected their masks. She leapt down from her perch on top of a cracked boulder.

"You're hiding something. What is it?"

I paused for a moment before answering.

"… Sorry, Tora, but I don't think I'm ready to tell you yet. I'm grateful to you for saving me, but it's something extremely personal to me."

"Eh. I'm just curious."

I let out another sigh.

"Thanks. I'm just not up to telling my life story right now."

She shrugged.

"Suits me. Let's head back to camp, I need some sleep."

I nodded silently in agreement. Then without warning, she turned around and took off towards camp at full speed. I shook my head in exasperation, then ran after her.

XXX

My eyes flickered open to the bright morning sunrise of the mountain. I yawned, sat up and stretched, then looked around. Link was frying up some leftover fish on a flat rock over the fire. Midna was still curled up where she and had Link had fallen asleep. Tora was… well, Tora was _somewhere_. She had warned us that she liked to be nearby, but out of sight.

Link noticed I was up, and called over to me.

"G'morning. You sleep well?"

I stood up, wincing as my joints cracked in protest.

"Ugh… not as well as I'd hoped, but I'll be fine."

I inhaled deeply, savoring the smell of the cooking fish. Link laughed at seeing the dreamy expression on my face.

"Yeah, come get some breakfast. We're gonna need it to finish that mission."

I nodded, grabbing a thin stick to spear the fish on. Then I walked over and sat down on a fallen log. Link set aside some fish for Midna, and we started chowing down. The clearing stood quiet for a few minutes, interrupted only by the sounds of our chewing and Midna's soft breathing. I glanced over at her.

She was really quite pretty; Link was a lucky man indeed.

I turned my gaze skyward. Judging from the sun's position, it was probably about ten o'clock. I felt the analytical part of my mind come forward, and I began to get thinking. I turned to Link.

"We need to go pretty soon if we want to get there by nightfall. The target is about twenty miles north of here, and the terrain can get tough."

He nodded.

"Okay, I'll go wake up Midna. Tora should come out of her hiding spot pretty soon."

As if on cue, a hollow knocking sound emitted from the log I was sitting on, and I heard Tora's muffled voice.

"I'm in here. Now move so I can get out."

Shocked, I jumped off the log. No sooner had I removed my person than Tora's fist crashed through the wood. She pulled it back, then punched through several more times until the hole was big enough to crawl out of, which she promptly did. As she stood up and dusted herself off, I regarded her with a look of disbelief.

"Why in the world did you hide inside of a LOG?!"

"Simple. Who'd look inside of a log?"

I shook my head. It was crazy, but it _did_ make sense, in some bizarre and unconventional way.

"I… you… just… ugh." I tried, frustrated.

"You just what?"

"Never mind."

I looked over at Link. He was waking up Midna, _Sleeping Beauty_ style. I felt a twinge of sadness, but quickly clamped down on it. Now was not the time.

A few minutes later, everyone was up and sitting in a semicircle, waiting to be briefed. I sat down and scratched out a quick map in the dirt.

"Okay, here's the deal. About twenty miles north of here, there's a bulblin encampment. It's my –er, our job to determine if it's a threat, and if it is, destroy it."

Link frowned. "I just hope King Bulblin isn't there. We left on good terms, and I don't want that to change. The bulblins might not be strong of fast, but they do have numbers, and there aren't many places they can't find. I _do_ plan on settling down eventually."

I smirked evilly.

"That's why you don't let any escape."

* * *

**First off, Tora does not belong to me, that privlege belongs to NinjaWriter11, whom I thank for her various contributions.**

**Fanart! Now on deviantART! Ninja and I each have some; profiles "NinjaAuthor11" and "smashbrawlguy". Check it out!**

**Halloween is coming up; carve your pumpkin to be a Triforce! Help Ninja and I spread this nationwide! Tell EVERYONE!**

**That's it, so here's the trivia!**

_**In TP, what is the name of the device that acts like a sniper scope when combined with the bow?**_


	18. Chapter 17: Friends and Lovers

Transformation and Banishment

Chapter 17: Friends and Lovers

(Link's POV)

The four of us were hiking in the mountains, on our way to the bulblin encampment. Gaven took on the role of trailblazer, weaving a path through the rocks. Tora was on the cliffs above, keeping an eye out for any sentries. Midna kept tabs on everyone's positions. I brought up the rear and made sure we weren't followed.

It was hot, dusty, and taxing on the body. Gaven, Tora, and myself were doing okay, but Midna was having a little trouble. Her pale skin was caked with dust and beads of sweat ran down her face. Gaven paused and turned around.

"Hey Midna, you okay?"

She glared daggers at him.

"Do I LOOK like I'm okay?!?"

Gaven recoiled from the outburst, then stood up straight.

"Okay. Half-hour break, guys. Midna, you might want to take this opportunity to change into something a little more… travel-appropriate."

She gave him a look of pure gratitude and melted into my shadow to change. Gaven rolled his eyes and muttered something about "that time of the month". I raised an eyebrow at him, but he just shrugged.

Midna reappeared from my shadow a minute later, wearing a midnight-blue tunic and holding four canteens of water.

"You guys thirsty?"

Gaven, Tora, and myself reached for –Tora?!

_Wait, when did she get down… ah, forget it._

The four of us each took a canteen and sat down in the shade of a boulder. We sat in a row with our backs to the cool stone. I looked sideways. Gaven was on the other end, sitting next to Tora. Midna was squeezed in between her and myself. I took Midna's hand in mine and looked into her eyes. I could see a watery reflection of myself in the deep red pupils. She smiled gently at me and lightly traced the neon patterns on my arms, just visible under the tan sleeves. They flared at the touch, and hers did likewise. I smiled. Now we were the same; half-light and half-dark. It seemed appropriate, considering all we'd been through together. Ironic, even. Zelda saved Midna from the light, and Midna saved me from the darkness. It was funny how life threw you in seemingly random directions, while at the same time keeping a delicate balance. I guess the universe just works like that…

Justice, malevolence…

Light, dark…

Heroism, villainy…

Good, evil…

Yeah, it worked in pairs.

"Link." I was jerked out of my daydream by Midna's soft voice. "It's time to go. C'mon."

I shook myself awake and stood up. The others had already done likewise. Gaven cracked his neck and adjusted his sword so that it hung at his waist instead of on his back. Tora was fixing the wrap around her shoulders so that she wore it like a headband, but its length made the ends poke out just below the tip of her ponytail. Gaven stepped out from under the shadow of the rock and looked at the sky.

"It's about 3:30." He stated. "Another eight miles or so and we'll be there. After we arrive, we'll find a hiding spot and observe base operations. Once recon is complete, we'll act accordingly and formulate a plan."

My eyes widened slightly. In the short time I'd known him, Gaven hadn't been so… serious. I guess there was still a lot to learn about him.

XXX

(Four hours later)

The four of us lay on a rocky outcropping which overlooked the bulblin village. There had been little activity aside from the occasional hunter returning home for the night.

Gaven growled, "This is taking too long. We should have an idea of their numbers by now."

Tora nodded in silent agreement.

"You're right." I said. "How about this: if we don't reach a conclusion within an hour, let's just go in and storm the place."

"Uh… guys?" Midna said nervously.

"What?"

"I don't think that's going to be necessary." She stated, pointing. Several pairs of glowing red eyes could be seen as they ascended the hill to our hiding spot.

Gaven gritted his teeth. "They've found us. Or at least, they know something's here. Judging from the size of that party, I'd say they probably think we're a deer or something, which would explain why the whole place isn't on high alert."

"You're probably right." Tora chimed in. "We should wait until they get close, and ambush them. Then we'll take the village."

We all nodded, then silently drew our weapons.

(Switch to Gaven's POV)

Tora held one of her daggers in a reverse grip. Midna summoned a sphere of magic. Link pulled out his bow and nocked an arrow. I held three knives between my knuckles, poised to throw.

They were getting closer…

Fifty feet…

Thirty feet…

Twenty feet…

Fifteen feet…

Ten…

Nine…

Eight…

Seven...

Six…

Five...

_NOW!!!_

"Let's move!" I whispered to the others.

We sprang out of our hiding place, shocking the dumb brutes. Before they could respond, the four of us struck, silent as ghosts. Midna stunned three of them with her magic, leaving me and my knives to finish them off. Link lined up his shot so that the arrow hit two bulblins, piercing the first one's neck and lodging itself in the second's gut. All I saw of Tora was a blade flashing in the moonlight, and then a blood spatter. Her targets were dead before they hit the ground.

I made a quick mental note to not piss her off.

Our foes fell to the rocky soil, and quickly disappeared in puffs of black smoke. I retrieved my fallen knives, then put them away and drew my Mirror Blade.

"Okay, guys. Let's go and give them a warrior's welcome, eh?"

"Hell yeah!"

"Stupid creatures won't know what hit them."

"Okay."

With a devious grin, Link attached a bomb to an arrow, lit the fuse, and fired.

The bomb arrow flew through the air and impacted one of the larger buildings, leaving it decimated. Almost immediately, the shrieks of the remaining beasts filled the air. Link put his bow away and drew his Ordon sword. It wasn't as fancy as my blade, but it was still a solid weapon.

"Let's split up." I suggested. "Link and Midna, you guys take the east half. Tora and I will take the west. Let's move!"

Mirror Blade and daggers in hand, Tora and I dashed for the nearest building. A lone bulblin poked his head out of a window and was quickly introduced to one of Tora's throwing stars. Several others came out of a doorway and received the same fate. By now, the place was on high alert. Fire arrows came down on us like some sort of hellish rain, and avoiding them wasn't always easy. Tora moved to the rooftops, taking out the archers. I stayed on the ground and worked over the ground troops, using a combo made of equal parts swordplay and gadgets. The fighting itself wasn't terribly complicated, but the bulblins made up with it in sheer numbers.

Dodge.

Parry.

Stab.

Slash.

Bomb.

Spin.

Block.

Jump.

Spin.

Slash.

Ending Blow.

It would almost be boring, if not for the constant reminder that death could come at any moment if you let your guard down.

I glanced upwards. Just as Tora was finishing off the last of the archers, a particularly courageous (or stupid) bulblin she had missed jumped off of a ledge above her and brought his club crashing down on her skull. She was as tough as they came, but a stone hammer impacting your head would knock out pretty much anybody. She went down like a sack of potatoes. An all-too-familiar pang of regret struck my gut. Tora wasn't precious to me the same way Mei was, but she was still a friend. Then the regret turned into anger and determination. This time would be different. This time, I was here. This time, I could do something. The bulblins around me hesitated, not knowing what to think of the pause in my attacks. It would be the last mistake they ever made.

"Kai… ten… GIRI!!!"

A red aura coated my sword, and I put all of my strength into one of the oldest and most powerful techniques known to swordsmen: the Spinning Slash. Their bodies didn't even hit the ground; they were turned into black smoke as soon as my sword came into contact with them. And before that smoke could even clear away, I was dashing for the spot where Tora went down. I grabbed my Longshot, fired, and rocketed to the rooftops. A group of bulblins surrounded Tora's prone form. One of them nudged her with his foot. She didn't move. The beasts started chattering excitedly amongst themselves, not seeing the EXTREMELY pissed-off swordsman advancing on them.

"Get. Away. From. Her."

They turned to face me, fixing their beady red eyes on my deep green ones. The little bastards were going to pay… with their lives.

I charged them, while at the same time checking my magic levels and forming an attack plan. I took a wild swing to bring down one of them, then sheathed my blade and concentrated my magic power. I weaved my way over to Tora and stood over her protectively, while at the same time casting a spell. A blue crystal came into existence, but instead of shielding myself, I aimed it at Tora. It enveloped her and started humming softly, ensuring that the bulblins couldn't harm her any further.

No longer having to worry about Tora, I turned my attention back to our attackers. Rage consumed every fiber of my being. I cupped my hands at my hip and focused. The bulblins slowly advanced. I closed my eyes. A small spark of flame appeared in my palm, quickly expanding and growing in power.

When I could contain it no longer, I crouched down and slammed my palm to the earth.

"Din's… FIRE!!!"


	19. Chapter 18: It Takes Two to Tango

Transformation and Banishment

Chapter 18: It Takes Two to Tango

(Gaven's Point of View)

"Din's Fire!"

A gargantuan ball of flame erupted from my hand; the bulbins shrieked in fear and tried to escape. Not one of them made it. I smirked in pure sadistic pleasure as the flames caught up to and devoured them.

Then I snapped out of it as I remembered one of my father's teachings. _Rage and anger are like poisons, you don't realize they're destroying you until it's too late._

But I kept my hand on the ground, despite the extreme temperatures and sharp pain from the superheated rock. Eventually all the bulbins stopped moving and turned into black smoke. Exhausted, bloody, and charred, I crumpled to the ground.

"Heh, heh… looks like I overdid it a little… damn." I said, wincing as a bolt of pain shot through my body. My vision blurred as the world around me dimmed. The last thing I saw was Tora, safe inside the crystal.

_Well, at least I can rest easy…_

XXX

(Switch to Tora's point of view)

I came to around midnight, and instantly realized I had a splitting headache. I sat up and immediately noticed several things.

Ow. My headache increased tenfold from getting up too quickly.

All the bulbins were gone.

The ground was scorched black at least twenty feet in all directions, except for a diamond shape surrounding… me?

Gaven lay about two feet away from me, covered in ash, blood, and cuts.

But, he was still breathing.

I swiveled myself to face him, then crawled over and flipped him onto his back. Despite being covered in blood (none of it his, thankfully), his tunic was in pristine condition, though the same could not be said of the rest of his clothes. They too were painted with blood, but also sported rips, tears, scorches, and sections where the cloth was just plain gone. I examined his hands; they were severely burned, to at least the second degree. I reached into a small pack I kept hidden against my waist. It was an enchanted bag, like the others had. I had bought it at a flea market a few years back. I rummaged around for a few seconds until my hand closed around a small vial. I pulled out the cork and set them both down. Next, I retrieved several feet of bandages and pads of cotton. I treated the burns on his hands with salve from the bottle, then wrapped them in with the cotton and bandages.

I estimated his hands would be fine, but it would be a week or so before he could firmly grip a sword without pain.

Once his wounds were treated, I managed to drag him inside the second story to wait out the night. Wherever Link and Midna were, I hoped they fared better than we did.

XXX

(Switch to Link's POV)

_Thok!_

My arrow met its mark head-on, and the last of the bulbins fell to the ground, dead. I put my bow away and trotted over to Midna, who was leaning up against a building, gasping for breath.

"Holy… Link, how the heck do you manage this? You're not even winded!" she accused.

I shrugged. "Lots of practice, I guess."

Midna scowled at me and stuck her tongue out. I rolled my eyes.

"Very mature. Should we go look for Gaven and Tora?"

Midna nodded in agreement, her face once again serious.

"Probably. Gaven has experience, so I'm sure he'll be fine, but I'm a bit worried about Tora… She's still pretty young, and I don't know how much combat she's seen."

"I'm sure she's fine. She seems more than capable of handling herself." I said, "And you forget she's as old as we are."

Midna shrugged, "If you say so, just her size throws me off… Are we doing this on foot or do you want to go wolf?"

"Wolf. Definitely." There was no keeping the excitement out of my voice. I loved the sense of freedom my lupine form gave me.

"Okay." She replied, quickly retrieving the shadow crystal from her bag. She held it out, and it floated about an inch above her upturned palm, giving off an eerie aura of shadow. I reached out and touched it.

I collapsed to the ground and was overcome with the familiar feeling of being bathed in the Twilight. I closed my eyes and let the changes wash over me. One could faintly feel the body changing, but it was different, like watching it happen to someone else. Then it stopped as soon as it started, and I regained full sensory awareness.

Opening my eyes, I looked up at Midna, but she wasn't there. Then her voice rang in my ears, like it was coming from all directions.

"I'm in your shadow. I can't exactly ride on your back anymore."

I nodded in understanding, a very un-wolflike thing to do.

And as much as I loved the freedom that came with being a wolf, the lack of speaking ability made communication difficult.

"Okay then. So, where to now, Mr. Hero?"

I raised my snout and sniffed the cool mountain air. I smelled blood, bulblin stink, the rock smell of the mountains, and some sort of ashy scent. Odd… Death Mountain was downwind of us. I memorized the scent and started tracing it back to its source.

A few minutes later, I came to what I thought was the source of the odor, but there was nothing to indicate a fire. Curious, I flicked my right ear twice, the signal for Midna to change me back. She quickly obliged, and I once again stood on two feet several moments later. Looking around, I saw nothing out of the ordinary… except… an arrow was poking out of the side of the building, just below the roofline. It was a bulbin arrow, and judging from the angle, its intended target was on the roof of the adobe building.

"Hey, Midna, look at this." I said, pointing. "Maybe we'll find something on that roof, I'm going to take a look."

I pulled out my Clawshot and aimed it at one of the barred windows on the second story. There was a slight recoil as the device fired, then the satisfying _clank _as it latched onto the wooden rods. I flew to the opening, then dropped down onto the roof of the first story. Looking around, I could definitely see signs of a battle. There were long scratches on the flat, rocklike roof, probably courtesy of Gaven's blade. The most prominent sign, however, was a large scorch on the ground, perhaps 20 feet in diameter. There was a diamond shaped spot near the center that was free of all traces of anything burnt. I heard Midna's tunic flapping in the breeze as she floated up to join me on the rooftop. Upon noticing the giant scorch mark, she walked over to it and cocked her head thoughtfully.

"Huh. Whatever caused this wasn't natural. I can feel a slight magical residue." She observed.

I crossed my arms and frowned. "Magic, huh? As far as I know, you and Zelda are the only spellcasters in Hyrule."

"This isn't a spell, it was item based."

"Item based?"

"It works a little like music magic. Almost all Hylians have the ability to use magic, though very few are skilled enough to use it unaided. With the help of an enchanted item, a person can utilize it much easier."

I nodded. "I think I understand…"

"Good. As I was saying, this isn't natural. Bulbins have no magical capabilities, so I'm guessing either Gaven or Tora did this. More likely Gaven; he's got plenty of toys for stuff like this."

"Mmmhmmm," I agreed, nodding slowly. "If it was Gaven, is there any way you can trace his magic to find him?"

Midna feigned a look of surprise. "That's actually a good idea. Since when did you get so smart?"

I took a playful swing at her, which she dodged by going all shadowy. Next thing I knew, she had rematerialized behind me and put me in choke hold. She whispered in my ear, "That wasn't nice, now say you're sorry."

I went along with her game, and put on my best wolf puppy eyes, "I'm sowwy…"

She let me go and stepped away. "That's better," she purred.

I rolled my eyes.

"So can you track Gaven or what?"

"Yep! I'll get right on it."

With that, she knelt down and apparently feeling around for a spot that contained Gaven's magical signature. When she found it, the air between her hand and the ground started shimmering. After a few seconds, it stopped, and she stood up turning towards me. She smiled, "He's actually still here, we just didn't look around enough."

She gave me a 'follow me' gesture and tiptoed over to where the second story jutted out from the first story's roof. She motioned to the door that allowed access to the roof and quietly opened it. Following her lead, I silently strode over to the doorway and peeked inside.

Both Gaven and Tora were sitting against the wall, sleeping. Both sported cuts and bruises, but Gaven's hands were wrapped in gauze and his clothes were singed in many places.

_Odd. I thought he was immune to fire. _

And then I saw something that would've made me go "Awww," if I wasn't a seasoned warrior. Tora had fallen asleep with her head on Gaven's shoulder, and his head rested atop hers. It was cute. Heck, they looked so much alike they could easily be siblings.

_Wait, _cute_? Since when was that part of my vocabulary? Being around women so much must have something to do with it…_

In any case, I withdrew my head and softly closed the door. I looked at Midna and she nodded, confirming she had seen it too.

We tiptoed away from the second floor, hand-in-hand. When we had a safe distance between us and the sleeping pair, I sat down, motioning for Midna to follow suit. She did, and joined me in my stargazing.

A thousand unspoken words were exchanged as we sat there, simply enjoying each other, the world around us, and any other worlds that might be out there.

XXX

(Gaven's POV)

I became aware of a dull ache in my hands as my mind slowly freed itself from the tendrils of sleep.

Then I saw a light through my closed eyelids and felt something land on my nose. I blinked groggily. A tiny firefly had apparently chosen my nose as his designated landing pad. I brought up a bandaged hand and brushed him off. As he flew away, I suddenly became _very_ awareof someone else sitting beside me. I turned my head to look, and there was Tora, fast asleep with her head on my shoulder. It was kind of nice, but at the same time awkward. Nice because I enjoyed the feeling of a warm body next to mine, and awkward because the last person to do that was Mei.

I decided to put it out of my mind. Tora was just an ally and friend after all.

My ears twitched, and I could faintly hear the sound of footsteps on the roof. They weren't bulblin steps, but they held some sort of rhythm… an incantation, maybe?

I lightly shook Tora, and her eyes snapped open. She sat up and quickly rubbed the sand from her eyes.

I motioned for her to be silent.

"I think we have uninvited guests, let's take a look." I whispered. She nodded, now fully awake.

We tiptoed to the door and silently opened it, just enough to see who was outside. What I saw was the last thing I expected.

Link and Midna were sharing a dance.

It was a slow, waltz-like motion. They were gazing into each other's eyes, oblivious to the world around them. Fireflies slowly flitted about, illuminating the cool summer's night.

I glanced over at a surprised Tora. Her eyes were wide, but she showed no emotion otherwise.

I leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Think we should let them be?"

"Yeah," she answered, without moving her head.

We closed the door and went back inside, leaving the two to dance under the stars.


	20. Chapter 19: Temptation

Transformation and Banishment

Chapter 19: Temptation

_36 hours after the raid on the bulbin village…_

"So tell me again why we can't warp to Castle Town?" Gaven griped as the four members of the Hero's Company trudged across the plains of Eastern Hyrule Field.

Midna felt her eye twitch before retorting, "Because I can only warp things that have come into contact with the Twilight. Now shut it!"

Gaven opened his mouth to argue, but Tora whispered something in his ear that made him blush slightly and close his mouth. He looked over at her, but she had regained her usual expressionless posture. He put on a puzzled face, then shrugged and turned away.

Link spoke up, "We've been walking for almost an hour. It will take us another hour to get there, unless you want to do this… unconventionally."

Tora raised an eyebrow, "How so?"

"I can go wolf, Midna can ride in my shadow, and I'm guessing Gaven has a few masks you guys can use…"

Midna abruptly turned around and smacked him upside the head.

"You moron! If you had thought of that earlier we could have been there by now!"

He recoiled from the blow and straightened up, moving his hat back to its former position. "Well, EXCUUUUUSE me princess!"

**(A/N: LOL) **

Gaven reached into his satchel and brought out two masks. One boasted the face of a Goron; the other sported a pair of fuzzy ears and tiny black eyes.

Tora eyed the Bunny Hood with disdain.

"Do I_ REALLY_ have to wear that thing? I can already run pretty fast…"

Gaven nodded, "Yeah, you do. Sheikah or not, even the fastest humans can't keep up with the speed of a wolf or Goron.

She sighed.

"It'll make me look girly… and I don't do girly."

Gaven rolled his eyes.

"Just deal with it, you can take it off before we go into town."

"Fine."

She took the mask from him and put it on, tucking it under her hair so that only the ears showed.

Surprised, she said, "This actually isn't two bad… I feel… wilder, almost." She smiled mischievously, "Maybe I'll keep it!"

"Yeah, right. Wishful thinking." Gaven muttered as he donned the Goron Mask. He writhed a little, then an explosion of blue light forced the others to cover their eyes. When it faded away, Darmani stood before them with arms crossed and a wide grin.

He spoke in his loud, booming voice, "Your turn, Link. I've been waiting to see this wolf form of yours."

Link and Midna nodded at the same time, as she retrieved the shadow crystal. But just as Link as about to touch it, he paused and looked at Gaven.

"Hey… I never told you about that."

"Yeah you did, back in Kakariko, before we left on the raid."

Link winced, "Oh yeah, huh? Hehe, oops..."

He blushed a little, and then carefully tapped the crystal before the blush got out of hand. A flurry of Twilight particles surrounded and covered him until he was completely dark. There were a few odd sounds, but the Twilight dissipated before anything _too_ weird happened. (Because there's nothing weird about a person of this dimension who turned into a race from a different dimension turning into a wolf, right?)

Link shook his fur out and stretched, then looked up at the others with a goofy grin, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth. He gave a happy bark and wagged his tail.

Midna spoke, "Obviously enough, he can't speak in this form, nor is there any form of telepathic communication. We go with body language."

If Tora was surprised by everything, she certainly didn't show it. She nodded, ears flopping as she did so. "Fine by me, I'm good with animals."

"Well, you have to be. You certainly aren't good with people." Gaven joked. Tora elbowed him, but was rewarded with a jolt of pain and what would become a bad bruise, courtesy of his rock-hard Goron body. He chuckled, "There's a reason Gorons are the best sumo wrestlers around."

"Whatever."

XXX

The group of warriors filed down the staircase leading to Telma's bar, making small talk as they did so. Gaven was explaining to Midna that Light magic, unlike Twilight magic, was hugely affected by strong emotions, such as hatred, love, agony, anger, or sadness. Tora and Link were engaged in a conversation about weapons, exchanging ideas and comparing notes.

As they approached the door, a man with long, two-toned blond-green hair, and wearing a long blue tunic with a baldric held together by a large silver ring came through the door, accidentally bumping into Link as he did so.

"Sorry…" He muttered as he walked away. Just before the door clicked shut, a bright orange weasel scampered out and chased after the man.

Gaven cocked his head thoughtfully. "Funny, I feel like I have seen him somewhere before…" Then he shrugged, "Nah, I would've recognized the rodent. In any case, let's go inside." He held the door open for the others, closing it behind him with a dull _thud_.

The bar was about half-full, with the main area housing average denizens of Castle Town, the back room was occupied by Auru and Shad.

Telma looked up as she heard the door close, breaking into a wide grin as she saw who it was.

"Link! Gaven! So good to see you again! How ya' doin?"

She walked out from behind the counter, pausing to scratch an orange tabby catas she did so.

"So then, I guess you finished the mission?"

Gaven nodded curtly.

"Yeah, but… something else has come up. It concerns the entirety of the group, so we all need to talk."

Telma frowned at the seriousness of his voice, but followed the four warriors to the back table.

Shad looked up from his book as they approached. "Hello Link, Gaven. Jolly good to see you again. Who might these ladies be?" He asked, gesturing towards Midna and Tora.

"I'm Midna, and this is Tora."

"Good to know. In case you didn't already know, I'm Shad, and this old codger here is Auru. Ashei, our other warrior, is on a mission, and I'm afraid she will not be back for quite some time." He adjusted his glasses and peered at Tora, "I say… are you perhaps related to Gaven? The similarities are quite striking."

Tora shook her head, "No way. I'd sooner challenge the Cave of Ordeals then be related to this moron."

"That can be arranged." Said moron countered.

Link rolled his eyes, "Been there, done that." He grinned, "Four times."

The young scholar turned to Link. He blinked several times, then took off his glasses and polished them. When he put them back on, he yelped in surprise, "Dear Nayru! What happened to you, Link?"

Link, suddenly aware of his new appearance, shrugged, "Long story; even I'm not entirely sure what happened. But I promise, I'm still me."

Shad sank back into his chair, "The mysteries never end…" he sighed.

Gaven cut in, "As much as I enjoy the pleasantries, I still need to tell you guys something. Take a seat, please."

The others obliged, and each pulled up a barstool.

"I have to leave The Group."

Before the others could say anything, he held up a hand and spoke again.

"I know it's sudden. The short version is, I've been seeking revenge on someone for a very long time now, and I recently found them. But things went bad, and they escaped. We need to find their trail before they disappear again."

Auru was frowning. Shad wore an expression of shock. Telma looked sad, and it was she who spoke next.

"Aw, hon, do ya' really have to go?"

"Yes… I'm sorry."

"Well at least stay for a drink or two. Din knows you deserve it."

"…Sure, why not?"

XXX

_Three hours and several drinking games later…_

Gaven slammed his mug back onto the table, "I win again, lightweights!"

Shad looked up from his book, "Don't go overboard. You're going to have a terrible hangover if you keep that up." He took a sip of his tea and went back to his novel.

Auru set his goblet down and looked at Link, "Not doing too well, are you?"

"Jusht shut up, ol' maaaan," Link groaned, slurring his words.

Midna glanced over at him, swirling her wine. "Could someone _please_ remind me why I put up with him?"

"Because you think he's gorgeous without a shirt." Tora, musing over her first beer and petting the orange tabby, answered from the shadows of the rafters.

Midna blushed, "That isn't the only reason…"

Link looked at Midna, "Heeey, why didn'tcha tell me youz had a hot twin shister, Midna?"

She face-palmed herself, "I like you better when you're sober."

"I leik me better when ahm sober, too!"

"Enough of this…" She muttered as she flicked a spark of magic at the drunken swordsman. It hit his forehead and dissipated. He blinked several times and shook his head.

"Ugh, what happened?"

"You did. No more alcohol for you, wolfy."

"What was that, Midna?"

"Sobriety charm. Great for parties.

"Of course…"

Just then, a young woman with fiery red hair entered the bar, looking around until she saw the group members at the back of the bar. She had the lithe body of a dancer, and wore a simple midnight-black dress that accented her delicate frame. Strangely, she gave off an air of total confidence, like someone who feared nothing.

Gaven locked eyes with her, and a chill ran up his spine. Whoever this newcomer was, she had some sort of magical ability, but nothing major.

Shad apparently knew her, as he was the first to speak, "Ah! Hello, Sharae. What brings you here?"

"A hunch, and it was right on the mark, apparently. We've got a pair of cute swordsmen on our hands, looks like." Midna draped her free arm over Link.

"This one's mine."

Gaven sighed and poured himself another mug of ale.

"Not interested."

She sauntered over to the table. Tora kept silent, still gently stroking the tabby. She was sure Sharae didn't know she was there. But it didn't matter, she sensed no evil intentions from her.

"Oh really? that's too bad…" She leaned over and whispered in Gaven's ear. "Especially since I can help you find the one thing you desire above all else…"


	21. Chapter 20: Desires of the Heart

**This week's Trivia Winners are: NinjaWriter11, Dwarg91, CrimsonDarkness 0013, ConGie, and John Bone. Great job, guys!**

Transformation and Banishment

Chapter 20: Desires of The Heart

Outwardly, he kept a calm appearance. But inside, his mind was racing.

Who was this? Could she be trusted? How did she know? What did he truly desire? He wanted Mei back, but something at the back of his mind said that was not it.

_How could that not be it?_

_You want revenge. You want Xeno out of this world._

_Mei and I could face her together._

_And you would end up wasting energy to defend her._

…

_You know I am right._

_We're the same person!_

_Not the point. Mei's gone, and she's not coming back. As much as you wish it weren't so, it is._

_Then what do I want?_

_That's for you to figure out. _

_You mean us. Me._

_No, I mean you. _

_But you said…_

_I said it was not the point. I never said we were one._

_Then who the hell are you?!_

Silence.

_Great… now I've got voices in my head. Just perfect._

And then he was snapped of his internal argument by Sharae's silky voice, once again whispering in his ear.

"Stop by my place later. I can help you ease some of those regrets… son of the hero."

Gaven's eyes snapped wide open, and he nearly gagged on his liquor. The mysterious woman cartwheeled away, giggling. Gaven didn't know why, but he felt he should keep this a secret.

The others made to move, but Gaven held up his hand, "I'm fine. A little bit just went down the wrong pipe, is all."

Slowly, they sat back down. Sharae spoke again. "Okay then! Maybe I'll see you guys later! Bye!"

She skipped out of the bar, followed by the stares of the group, and every other man in the bar.

All was quiet until Tora broke the silence.

"What an airhead."

Half of the bar's patrons broke into peals of laughter, while the others frowned and shared a knowing look.

Eventually the bar's atmosphere returned to normal. People returned to their conversations, and The Group resumed chatting.

Link inquired, "Shad, who was that?"

"That was Sharae. She's Madame Finadi's granddaughter and student. Well she WAS a student. Nowadays she runs her own place. It's in the central plaza, next to the café. From what I hear, she's rather skilled in the physic arts, but tends to spend a good deal of time chasing after young men, such as ourselves."

He sighed, "Or rather, yourselves. I am afraid I don't have much luck in that area."

Auru took a sip of his ale.

"That's because you spend all of your free time holed up in the library."

"Perhaps I simply prefer pleasures of the mind to the pleasures of the body."

"Sure… you keep tellin' yerself that."

"Oh be quiet, you old bat!"

"Can't you both shut up?" Tora sighed from the rafters, still scratching the orange cat.

"She has a point," Gaven added.

"If you say so," Shad said as he resumed his book.

Auru shrugged and wordlessly went back to his liquor.

The group sat in silence for several minutes, each member lost in their own respective thoughts. Gaven, obviously enough, was considering Sharae and her offer. Link wondered about paying Zelda a visit. Midna was trying to formulate a plan to lure Xeno out into the open.

Unlike the others, however, Tora was simply sitting back and relaxing… and wondering what the future held.

XXX

"Are you sure this is it?"

"It should be. There's only one café in the central plaza, and the building on the other side is where the travelling Goron merchants do their thing…"

"Well then, are you going in or what?"

Currently, Gaven and Link were outside of Sharae's shop. Midna and Tora were off somewhere, shopping.So the men had gone on to pay the fortune-teller a visit.

As they opened the door and stepped inside, a bell tinkled somewhere above them, signaling their entrance. The duo hear Sharae's muffled voice coming from somewhere in the back. "Just a sec guys, I'm taking care of something!" Several crashing sounds were heard, followed by a quick, "I'm okay!"

"Are you sure about this?" Link whispered in Gaven's ear.

"Yeah." He muttered back. "She said she could help me find what I desire most, and right now I desire Xeno's heart on my blade."

"I'm not sure that's quite what she mea-," Link started, but he was cut short as Sharae emerged from the back, clutching a golden hourglass that was empty of sand. She set it on a shelf behind her, then sat down in an ornate armchair beside the table holding her crystal ball.

"It's about time! We only have half an hour before your friends finish up!"

"How did you…" Link started, before she cut him off.

"I'm physic, don't question my methods." She turned to Gaven, "Please, sit, I have much to tell you." The duo started to sit on a pair of chairs, but they were stopped, "Oh, no no no, this is for Gaven's ears only. YOU will have to wait outside, Mister Link."

The two swordsmen glanced at each other, "It's okay, Link, it's not like she's going to rape me…. I think…"

With barely surpressed laughter, Link gave a mock salute and stepped outside, back into the jostling sounds of the central square. Gaven turned back to Sharae.

"I told you to come alone."

"No, you didn't!"

"I didn't? Ah well, it's just us now, so no harm done."

"I guess so."

"Okay then, let's get started! What do you desire most?"

"Aren't you supposed to tell me?"

"What your conscious mind tells you you want is never actually what you want."

"Then how-,"

"Look," she said, leaning over the table, "I can help you, but ultimately it's mutual. I need you to do as I say without question, is that clear?"

Taken aback, Gaven paused for a second before replying, "Yes."

Sharae sat back, brushing her fiery red hair out of her face. "Okay, so what is your deepest desire?"

Gaven's face was a cold mask of hatred, "I want Xeno's still-beating heart, impaled on my blade."

The fortune-teller didn't bat an eye at the gruesome request. "Okay, now that that's out of the way, I can tell you what your heart truly desires. Place your hand on the crystal ball and close your eyes."

Gaven obliged, as soon as his fingertips touched the crystal, he felt another presence within his mind. Somehow, instinctively, he knew it was Sharae.

_Well?_ He thought.

_Hmmm… interesting… just a sec more… then I'll tell you everything you need to know._

He 'sat' silently in his mind, waiting for her to finish.

A few seconds later, she withdrew from his mind. He opened his eyes. She was sitting in the armchair with a curious expression on her face.

"You're full of surprises, aren't you?" She commented, then preceded with her findings.

"Your heart is consumed by hatred, sorrow, and a forgotten love. But something else looms on time's horizon… another chance. Another chance for revenge, for happiness, for love… But first, you must conquer the darkness within yourself. If you let it take control, everything you have worked for will be lost, as will the hopes of regaining them. Very soon, your inner strength will be put to the test against your inner demon.

"Love, on the other hand, is far more uncertain. This one is distant, perhaps unreachable, but the chance is still there. And, your decisions in the fight against The Fallen Messenger will affect the outcome as well. You might need to sacrifice everything, or nothing at all…"

She exhaled deeply and opened her eyes, "I wish you luck on your quests, vengeful one."

Gaven stood up, "Thanks. And… uh… how much do I owe you?"

Sharae smiled gently, "Not a single rupee. As for why… that will become clear soon enough. Goodbye, Gaven. Do not falter in the future's challenges."

_**Oh hai gaiz! Technically I'm not the author, I'm the 'Co-Author and Typer' but I wanted to jump in and spam SBG's Author Note real quick. Just wanted to say you guys owe me, it's two o'clock A.M. on Christmas Eve. (Merry Christmas too!)**_

**Okay, that was NinjaWriter11, so you guys owe her a crapload of thank-yous. T&B might've been cut long ago without her enthusiasm and help, so just pop over to her profile and PM her a quick thanks.**

**Okay, the self-review: I think this one was a tad sloppy. I had a ton of ideas for Gaven's fortune, but they all vanished when I actually got to writing it. I'm probably gonna go back and rewrite this eventually, so keep your eyes peeled!**

**Okay, review and tell me what you thought!**

**Trivia: **_**In the new Zelda game "Spirit Tracks", who is Link's companion throughout his quest?**_

**LMN: Sorry this is late. I went to my grandparent's place last night, and in my gift-induced frenzy, left my flash drive there. Long story short, I got it earlier today but didn't have computer access until now. Sorry about that! ^^'**


	22. Chapter 21: The Message

**A/N: EPIC FAIL. I was on a time crunch and I procrastinated WAY too much. School, computer restrictions, etc. It's too short and too boring. =(**

**Trivia Winners: Twilight Commando, NinjaWriter11, Kaigon, John Bone, TwiliPrincess049, ConGie, and Forscythe. Congrats!**

Transformation and Banishment

Chapter 21: The Message

"Well?" Link inquired as Gaven stepped out of Sharae's shop, and into the fading sunlight of the late afternoon.

"I'm not quite sure what to make of it. Apparently I need to 'conquer the darkness,' within myself if I want to defeat Xeno. And she also said something about 'another chance for love' although it's supposedly a long shot."

Link furrowed his brow. "Huh… Well, if she wasn't related to Fanadi, I'd think she was a complete hack. But she is, so there's some level of truth there."

"True. But what worries me is the whole deal with my 'inner demon.' I think my plate is full enough with Xeno, and we don't even know where she is." He sighed. "I was hoping for answers, but instead I just have more questions."

"Sorry… don't know what to tell ya." He paused, "It's starting to get dark. I think we should start looking for Midna and Tora."

"What, are you actually worried about them?"

"No, I'm worried about murder charges if someone tries to mug them."

"Yeah, I can see how that would be bad."

"Since they said they were going shopping, they're probably in the Southern Thoroughfare.

"Okay then, let's go."

XXX

Tora sidestepped a vertical axe swing, letting it strike the cobblestone pavement. Her attacker lost his balance and fell forward, giving her an opening. A roundhouse kick to the face and followed by an upwards piledriver to the chin knocked the man out cold.

She shouted over to Midna, "Why the HELL are we being attacked?!"

The sorceress blasted three thugs with a powerful burst before responding, "They tried to kidnap me a little while back, and Link beat the crap out of them. They're looking for revenge, I bet!"

"Yeah? Well they're going to get it if Link and Gaven don't show up soon! Can't you send up a flare or something?!?!"

"Already tried that, but it took too long to cast the proper spell!"

"Then try an improper spell! Like one of those shockwave things that Gaven is sensitive to!"

"I'll try that, but no guarantees!" she said as she kicked a rather large man in a rather sensitive area. In the same fluid movement, she kneeled and placed her palm on the ground. Just as she was about to start muttering an incantation, a thug appeared over her, holding a hammer above his head. "Oh no you don't," Tora muttered, she ran towards him, nailing him in the chest with a flying side kick. She could feel several ribs crack beneath the power of her kick. He fell to the ground, and his hammer skidded across the cobblestones. Midna, aware of what had happened, quickly went back to her incantation. "Daem!" she finished quickly as a wave spread out like ripples in a pond.

Tora shouted to her, "Did it work?"

"It has to! We're screwed if it doesn't!"

XXX

Gaven stopped suddenly with a puzzled look on his face. Link looked over his shoulder at the fellow warrior, "What is it?"

Gaven cocked his head, "Magical shockwave. But it was oddly distorted, like… the spell that caused it had no effect other than the actual… shockwave... damn." He swore, badly.

"What?"

"Follow me!" He shouted as he took off running. Link gave chase, confused. "Why? What is it!?!?"

"It was a signal!"

XXX

"How're you holding up?" Tora shouted to Midna as she clapped her hands over one of the thugs' ears, blowing out his eardrums. He stumbled around for several seconds like a drunken monkey until Tora laid him out with a double-legged kick to the chest.

"I'm a spellcaster, not a fighter!" She paused to grab one of her attackers with her hair-hands, then threw him at a wall. She grunted with the effort it took, "Link is the fighter. I just tell him where to go."

"Figures…"

Tora glanced upwards just in time to see a pale-skinned figure silhouetted against the moon.

"Zora bolt!" The man shouted. An electric current crackled to life, dancing along his skin. He swung his arms vertically, launching two projectiles that sizzled with current. They each struck a thug, zapping them unconscious. A third looked up for his attacker, only to receive an axe kick from Mikau's steel boots.The same boots clanked as the Zora warrior landed so that he and Tora were back-to-back. "Miss me?" he asked in his bubbly voice.

"Only your ability to kick ass." She replied sarcastically.

"Well then, shall we dance?"

XXX

Tora, sporting a fresh black eye and a bleeding lip, held her dagger against the leader's throat. Link, Mikau, and Midna held back, watching the downed thugs.

"You guys knew we could beat you. Why'd you try anyways?"

"I ain't tellin you nuthin," He growled, then spit in Tora's face.

Mikau leaned over to Link and whispered, "Bad move on his part." Link nodded in agreement.

Tora frowned in disdain and smacked him with the butt of her knife, sure to leave a large welt.

"Let's try this again, why did you attack us?"

The man grunted, "Fine. Some lady in a mask paid us a ton of rupees to fight you. She didn't say why, and I wasn't asking. Not with a retainer that big.

The Hero's Company exchanged alarmed looks while the thug fidgeted nervously. When he spoke again, it was to Link. "Oh yeah. 'Ey Greenie, she also wanted me to tell ya, 'Come near what you hold dear. Bring your friends, or your family will meet their ends.' Or sumthin' like that."

Link dropped his sword, mouth agape.

"Shit. She's targeting Ordon."

_**Hai gaiz. I'm in English class right now… Okay, well… enjoy this chapter! Also, I thinking up starting something for FAQs about this story, so start brainstorming!**_

**Again, NinjaWriter11, my semi-coauthor/editor. She's a big fan, in case you couldn't tell.**

**GAH! This one stunk. Like I said before, too short and too boring. On the flip side, I recently started replaying TP, so I'm more motivated to write now. Next chapter will be better –and longer, I promise.**

**Betcha can't get this one!  
**_**In a 2005 Nintendo Power giveaway, how many copies of an early beta-version Twilight Princess were released?**_


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